Rare Essex Russula in Sandy-Lay and Moat Woods
Tony Boniface 40 Pentland Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 4AZ
This season promises to be an improvement on the last two years. On the 18th July,
2004, I found a specimen of Russula carminipes in this Essex Wildlife Trust reserve
near Great Leighs. The colour of the cap was a reddish brown exactly as reproduced in
the illustration in Galii (1996). The cuticle covering the cap peeled about a quarter of
the cap radius. The stem had a pronounced pink flush. The diameter of the cap was
5.5cm. The spore print was the darkest shade of orange in the synoptic key required to
identify this genus. Kibby (2001). The taste of the gills was mild. Hyphae were present
in the cap cuticle which when stained in carbol-fuchsin solution for 15 minutes and
washed in 10% hydrochloric acid for exactly one minute before washing and mounting
in water showed external, black incrustations on their walls. These observations led me
to the conclusion that the specimen was Russula carminipes, which was confirmed by
Geoffrey Kibby. This species may not yet have been found in Essex according to the
mycologists I have contacted although there may be records in the Kew Herbarium for
our county.
I have also identified the following species in the same nature reserve recently:-
Russula heterophylla
Russula brunneoviolacea
Russula aeruginea
Russula nigricans
Entoloma rhodopolium
References
Galii, R. (1996) Le Russule. Edinatura.
Kibby, G. (2001) Synoptic Keys to the British species of the Genus Russula. Manu-
script obtainable from the author.
Don't forget Tony Boniface's talk on Wednesday November 24th
'Tales plants tell'. A look at some interesting plants from around the world. A talk by
Tony Boniface at the hall of the Blessed Sacrament, Melbourne Avenue, Chelmsford
at 8.00pm. The hall of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church is at the western end of
Melbourne Avenue, Chelmsford, by the junction with Pennine Road at TL 688084. A bus 54
runs 3 times every hour from Chelmsford Station to the Church.
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Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 45, September 2004