At about 2pm we had reached the old estate cottages at the bottom of the hill and while
some of the group decided to return home, the rest, led by Peter Comber and Brian
Ecott, continued into the more ancient woodland to the North.
On route back to the car park Roger found 14 feel up a Poplar tree the rare Pholiota
populnea (see plate 9). Mary Smith identified the tree as an Italian Poplar Populus x
canadensis var. serotina as it had distinctive galls on the stalks of the leaves. Mary and
Patrick Smith and Jacqucy watched wilhbolh trepidation and excitement as Roger climbed
up to collect this fungi. Mary whipped out her Courtecuisse and Durhem and excitedly
confirmed the identification. The said specimen is now dried, boxed and resides at the
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable day with plenty of common species; some special and rare
fungi and many good photo opportunities; in all 121 have been identified to dale with a
few more still to be determined.
References
Courtecuisse, R. & Durhem, B. (1995) Collins Field Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools
of Britain and Europe Harper Collins.
Weightman, J. (2004) Look out for .Hemipholiota populnea. Field Mycology 5 (3): 99.
MapMate records
If you are using MapMate for your biological records, then please send these on regular occasions
using the MapMate synchronisation process. If the County Recorder MapMate details are not
listed overleaf, please contact your County Recorder to find out whether they are able to receive
records in this form or you can send your MapMate records to Peter Harvey (cuk 2gv and email
grays@peterharvey.freeserve.co.uk), who will forward them on. Current details for County
Recorders who are definitely able to receive MapMate sync records are as follows, but at least 7
more are or will be using MapMate and may be able and willing to receive records in this way:
County MapMate Email Taxonomic groups
Recorder CUK
Tim Gardiner 3kb tg@writtle.ac.uk Orthoptera
Brian Goodey 6qa essexmoths@dsl.pipex.com Lepidoptera
Mark Hanson 6q4 mark@hanson2468.fsnet.co.uk Veteran Trees
Neil Harvey 2hb neilh@essexwt.org.uk Larger Brachycera
Peter Harvey 2gv grays@peterharvey.freeserve.co.uk Arachnida, Hymenoptera, Isopoda
David Scott 6qn david.scott76@btopenworld.com Reptiles and amphibians
Del Smith 6bc delsrrith444@btinternet.com Diptera (except hoverflies and
larger Brachycera)
30
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 52, January 2007