Park Wood is a wood of mixed ancient trees owned by the Environment Agency, with Hornbeam, Oak, Birch and Ash and some coniferous trees with many epiphytes (mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae and fungi); see Park Wood information page - Environment Agency - Citizen Space (environment-agency.gov.uk) and Park Wood, Hellingly | Sussex Bryophytes (wordpress.com)
I am becoming increasingly interested in the communities of trees, lichens, fungi, mosses and liverworts in Sussex woods. Their interrelationships are fascinating, and important for the future of the planet.
This post is simply an attempt to identify the fungi, lichens and mosses that I saw in a three hour visit to this fantastic wood.
I am very new to the identification of fungi, lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). Thus far I have only made tentative identifications on the fungi, lichen and bryophytes I saw. The identifications I have made of these species may be wrong! I will update this post as I learn more! This post is a work in progress: a few species I have not been able to identify at all yet.
I used these resurces:
Stefan Buczacki, Chris Shields, Denys W Ovenden (2013) Collins Fungi Guide
Frank S Dobson (2018) Lichens: An illustrated guide to the British and Irish species
Ian Atherton, Sam Bosanquet, Mark Lawley (2019) Mosses and Liverworts of Britian and Ireland; a field guide
I have also used the Obsidentify App Mission - Observation.org
I reached Park Wood by bus. The 12 from Brighton to Eastbourne and then the Stagecoach 1X from Eastbourne to Hellingly. 1X - Roebuck Park - Eastbourne – Stagecoach South East – bustimes.org There is a short walk from the stop (The Drive, one before the terminus at Roebuck Park in Hellingly, but it us up a road (Grove Hill), with no pavements. so extreme caution needs to be taken. Grove Hill takes you to the west entrance of Park Wood.
Walled Maze Polypore or the Blushing Bracket, Daedaleopsis confragosa
Possibly Common Feather-moss, Kindbergia praelonga
Candelsnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon
Bitter Oysterling, Panellus stipticus
Lichens - to be identified
Grey Wagtail
Rotting tree stump
Possibly Oakmoss Lichen, Evernia prunastri
Path through the woods
Dunnock
A moss of the order Hypnales Featger mosses?
Pond
Chestnuts
Candlesnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon
Bleeding Oak Crust, Stereum gausapatum
More low-lying water
Oak?
Birch
Possibly Oakmoss Lichen,Evernia prunastri,
Possibly Hypnum cupressiforme
Yellowing Curtain Crust, Stereum subtomentosum
Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina
Roots of fallen tree
Tripe fungus, Auricularia mesenterica
Tiny Mycena sp, possibly Mycena adscendens
Fungreek Stalkball, Phleogena fainea
Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor.
To be idenitfied
Common Green Shield Lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata
Fenugreek Stalkall, Phleogena fagina
Oak Pin, Culdoniella acicularis.
Candelsnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon
Blackening Brittlegill, Russula nigricans
Birch Milkcap Lactarius tabidus
Unknow fungus, knocked off trees by rain, on chestnuts
Probably, Juniper Haircap, Polytrichum juniperinum
To be identified
Possibly Common Greenshield Lichen, Flavoparmella caperata
SewwtChestnuts
Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
Small Stagshorn, Calocera cornea
Golden Curtain Crust, Stereum subcomentosum,
underside
Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
udnerside
underside
Wolf's Milk or Groening's Slime, Lycogala epidendrum, a slime mould
Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa
Small Stagshorn, Calocera cornea
To be identified
To be identified
Yellowing Curtain Crust, Stereum subtomentosum
underside
Scar on birch
Fenugreek Stalkball, Phleogena faginea
Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa
underside
Candlesnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon
to be identified
Peeling Oysterling, Crepidotus mollis
Variable Oysterling, Crepidotus variabilis
Coral Spot, Nectria cinnabarina
Wood scenes
possibly Tree-moss, Climacium dendroides
Uprooted tree
Silver Birch
More Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
Crystal Brain,Exidia nucleata
One of the ghylls
Blackening brittlegill, Russula nigricans
Blueing Bracket, Postia caesia
Not yet identified
Stumps
Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina
Hairy Curtain Crust, Stereum hirsutum
Mycena pseudocorticola ? (unikley)
Blueing Bracket, Postia carsia,
Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa
Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina
Sulpher Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare ??
Olive Oysterling, Sarcomyxa serotina
Wood Ear, Auricularia auricula-judae,
Brachythecium sp., possibly Rough-stalked Feather Moss, Brachythecium rutabulum
Spindle, (Euonymus europaeus)
Another Ghyll
Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
Smoked oysterling, Resupinatus applicatus
To be identified
Resupinatus sp?
To be idntified
Sulpher Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare
Wolf's Milk or Groening's Slime, Lycogala epidendrum; a slime mold, of class Myxogastria
Sweet Chestnuts, Castanea sativa
Variable oysterling, Crepidotus variabilis
To be identified
To be idenitifed
Pear-shaped Puffballs, Lycoperdon pyriforme
Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa
Candlesnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon
Unkown fungus and Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor
Mycena sp.
Common Inkcap, Coprinopsis atramentaria; Beech, Fagus sylvatica, in background
A path though the birches.
Acorn of Sessile oak, Quercus petraea
Weeping Widow, Lacrymaria lacrymabunda
