Boletus erythropus
and rather unusually for a bolete on very wet, gravelly soil. It is hoped that it is still
growing in the area and perhaps waiting for a particularly good season to fruit again.
Some of the very damp parts of the wood will repay closer examination and I feel
many interesting species still await discovery. Most notable are the often large numbers
of Boletus parasiticus to be found parasitising the common earth-ball, Scleroderma
citrinum. This is a distinctly uncommon to rare species almost entirely restricted to the
south of England, we appear to be particularly fortunate in that it is rather common in
Epping Forest. Inocybe fastigiata appears to be commoner in these wet hollows than in
Epping Forest, where only a few records have been made, this is a genus where more
records are likely as they are common in the area and modern keys are now available for
determining them (45).
Hebelomas are abundant in this woodland in late autumn, as they are in most
woodlands in Britain, but they must represent one of the most baffling and un-
satisfactory genera as far as determinations are concerned. They present a minimum of
useful taxonomic characters and all look very similar indeed; however, more complete
keys are appearing in European mycological journals and it is hoped that these will
enable at least some of them to be named. We have four species on the list and I estimate
at least another four are present in the wood, almost certainly the carbonicolous H. car-
bonicola will make an appearance sometime soon with the abundance of now suitable
habitat. It is recognisable by its tough, very elastic flesh and reddish brown colours.
Russulas although numerous are mostly common species except for R. romelli
which has been collected here but not elsewhere in Epping Forest.
I would estimate that the list could be increased by at least fifty per cent by means of
diligent collecting and research using up-to-date literature and collecting at all times of
the year, something many mycologists sadly do not do. Although not a site of great
mycological importance the wood is nevertheless interesting and because of its relatively
small size allows the possibility of a really thorough study over a few years.
Nomenclature follows Corner, E. J. H. (16); Dennis, R. W. G., Orton, P. D. and
Hora, F. B. (19); Pegler, D. N. (53) and Watling. R. (75).
46