Grasses
Trees
Below is a index with Common Names in their alphabetical order - please click over the name
Grasses
Trees
Fungi
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Spiny Puffball fungi (Lycoperdon echinatum) (End of August - Early September)
(above) Spiny Puffball (Lycoperdon echinatum)
I almost stumbled upon this beautiful fungi whilst walking from the Trig Point to the North direction and shortly after dropping down the escarpment to the lower level. Although when I first found it in 2014 it had 3 balls, but checking it out the following year in 2015 this was down to a single and I have not found any in the following years so far!
The following photo shows it the following year (2015) when just the one appeared which looked very hedgehoggy.
According to Cumbria Biodiversity (5/12/2014) it was last recorded in Cumbria was back in 1997)
(above) Spiny Puffball - Lycoperdon echinatum)
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea) Nov/Dec
For me this one is identified as the Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea).
There is only one other I find with similarity and thats Verdigris Agaric
Photo: 5th December 2021
For me this one is identified as the Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea).
There is only one other I find with similarity and thats Verdigris Agaric
Photo: 5th December 2021
For me this one is identified as the Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea).
There is only one other I find with similarity and thats Verdigris Agaric
Photo: 5th December 2021
For me this one is identified as the Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea).
There is only one other I find with similarity and thats Verdigris Agaric
Photo: 5th December 2021
For me this one is identified as the Blue Roundhead Fungi (Stropharia caerulea).
There is only one other I find with similarity and thats Verdigris Agaric
Photo: 5th December 2021
These specimens are the only ones I have found so far within Dalton Crags. There were several grouped and at the base of long grass and dead leaves under decideous trees
Hypericum humifusum (Trailing St. John's Wort)
I would say that the species is rare in the locality, however by chance I did find a small population on Holme Stinted Pastures which was partially hidden and protected by the multitudes of bracken in the vicinity.
Although I am fairly familiar with most hypericum species, at first I was thrown into confusion with never having seen the species until that day (16th July 2021). I have made notes and will try and do more studies on this next year.
Monday, November 22, 2021
ELFIN SADDLE FUNGI (Helvella lacunosa)
Elfin Saddle fungi (Helvella lacunosa)
22nd November 2021 – Dalton Crags.
A strange looking mushroom I found amongst the leaf litter on the floor beneath a Beech tree in Woodland making up part of Dalton Crags, Burton In Kendal, Cumbria (or old Westmorland). The mushroom was about 6cm tall and of a slate grey colour and so unusual appearance with humps and bumps, yet somehow it had something appealing about it that made you want to check it out more. According to the references it is not that rare, but a first for me. First discovered in 1783 by a Swedish naturalist Adam Afzelius who christened it “Helvella lacunosa” . Helvella means “aromic herb” and lacunosa means “having holes”.
"At first to me, it looked so strange in fact ugly - yet search deeper (look more than once) and you really do see a new found beauty". - The old adage "Never judge a book by its cover"
YELLOW BIRDSNEST ( Hypopitys monotropa)
This was first found beneath the woodland within Dalton Crags (finder: Jo Miller April 2021). A strange sort of plant with no colour as such. It is very rare and the details have been given to County Recorder. The plant lacks chlorophyll so you do not see any colour it is more transparent to a light yellow. The flower spikes are seen nodding, but will become erect when later in fruit.
Note the difference in profiles. This is long after fruiting and now rotting down on 22nd November 2021. It looks strange with its "orange segments" and its little "blow hole".
The early day posture remind me so much of the epipactis orchids eg: the nodding its head in shame! it would never do that, yet! after a while it lifts its head in full glory for all to see it's magnificence.
I missed the Yellow Birds Nest lifting of it's head and it must have been such a special sight by looking here at what we are seeing now...
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Wild Radish - Raphanus raphanistrum
This past couple of weeks (October 19th 2021) I have been doing bird migration counts on a high elevation field set aside with last years "Bird Seed" plants. I just could not but notice one particular beauty which stood out amongst the clover and others. And what a cracker for helping with the Linnet feed.
After checking references I soon found out it was a member of the Brassica family and its known by the name "Wild Radish" or Raphanus raphanistrum. Most of the tall plants had white flowers whilst others had lilac flowers, but both had small black veins running the length of the petals
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