After recent rain, I thought it worthwhile to return to Sassafras Gully to record some of the fungi and slime moulds. in 2015, I began a project of regular visits to the gully for fungi photography and I intend to continue this during 2016.
Inocephalus virescens
The good rainfall has meant the fungi season has started early this year. During last year’s fungi season, on visits to Sassafras Gully one thing that became readily apparent was that different specials of fungi appear at different times. Like last season, there seems to have been an early fruiting of red waxcaps (probably all Hygrocybe miniata). Waxcaps normally fruit only in colder weather (typically May – June – July), so it is interesting that at least some types do fruit earlier, and then have another burst of fruiting later in the season.
On this visit I found quite a few red waxcaps spread along the gully.
Also, like last year, I noticed a lot of boletes out.
One of the early fruiting species last year was the blue entoloma – Entoloma hochstetteri (also known as Entoloma viriscens). On a recent trip to bush near Glenbrook, I had found a couple of these out, and it was one of my main goals to find more out in Sassafras Gully. I was not disappointed. One was the first fungus I saw on this trip – not far down the track from Sassafras Gully Road. I was hoping to find more on the Victory Track up to the turnoff to Numantia Falls (like last year) – but I couldn’t find any more there this trip, But a little later, close to the Lagoon at the junction with Sassafras Gully and Glenbrook Creek I found cluster of 13 of them spread around the base of a fallen tree. Magnificent!
Update – 17 February 2016 – Some members of the Sydney Fungal Studies Group collected a sample, and Gemma Williams made a sore print. The spore size was then measured by Liz Kabanoff and it looks like these blue mushrooms are now – Inocephalus virescens (formerly referred to as Entoloma viriscens). The Sassafras Gully specimen had a spore size of 9.82 μm. Entoloma hochstetteri has a spore size ranging from 11 – 15 μm and Inocephalus virescens has a spore size less than 11 μm.
Also noteworthy was the number of slime moulds that were out. Here are a few photos –
And some more of the fungi –
My exit route was via Magdala Creek, with a side trip to photograph Magdala Falls.
Magdala Falls
More photos are online here, together with my attempts at identifying them.
