Pholiota adiposa and Berwick-upon-Tweed

Pholiota adiposa and a return to Berwick-upon-Tweed October 2012


It's not very often I return to visit a place twice in the space of six months but I found Berwick-upon-Tweed so tranquil and soothing that I just had to go back and experience it again.  October being prime fungi season, so hoped to find a few on my walkabouts.  A preview of the weather forecast didn't bode well, with yet more rain on the way, and yes it was raining on the journey, and the view from the train window showed bales of hay and straw marooned on little islands surrounded by vast areas of water-logged fields.

It rained persistently and very heavily for two out of my three full days and it looked jolly miserable, but I was still happy.  Breakfast and a new guest at the table. A travel writer for the Times doing a piece on weekend breaks.  He asked me why I liked Berwick to which I replied - it's a good place to come if you want to get off the treadmill of life!  What are you doing here he asked?  I'm taking photographs of British Fungi I told him.  He put down his knife and fork and said, well I've never been told that before!

I came across Tubifera ferruginosa by chance.  Had walked around the Ramparts in the heavy rain and took shelter under a small tree so I could stand and observe the rough sea with a huge Spring Tide.
On the tree trunk were 3 orange Tubifera f.  Quite small up to 5 cm, and irregularly shaped, so I took photos in perspective and a close-up showing the individual sporgangia.

On the one day without rain and some morning sunshine, I took the bus over the River Tweed to Spittal.
Did a partial cliff walk and at the top near a path in short grass,  I found  a few (I think) Hygrocybe ceracea.  Very bright yellow, waxy and greasy texture.  Very small cap maximum 4 cm diam with no odour.

A little disappointed not to have found more fungi I decided on my last afternoon to have one final look around.  The rain didn't cease until 3pm and the light was very bad but I still went out searching.
Was just about to give up when I approached a few trees tucked away in a very damp and moss covered area deep down below the ramparts.  At first I thought I was looking at Pholiota squarrosa which I had previously seen and photographed some years ago in Scotland.  But these were different.  Still the same characteristic stem with smooth surface above the delicate ring and bands of rust scales below.
But the colour and texture of the cap was different.  The scales did not over hang the margin edge and the ring seemed more fragile.  Also the margin edge was not so in-rolled. Depending on which fungi book you read the colour of the gills varies from light buff initially to deep rust on maturity.  So I believe this might be Pholiota adiposa.  Certainly not squarrosa.  A race against time as the light was fading fast and managed to get some photographs, but the camera has not quite captured the colours that I saw.

These photographs can now be viewed on Browse 4.