Strumpshaw Fen Slime Moulds, some fungi and a scat – February/March 2025

2nd February 2025

In the entrance yard we spotted our first Lycogala epidendrum of year, although I felt that it was a little early to see this slime mould. In previous years at the Strumpshaw Fen woodland, we started to see L. epidendrum in abundance from April.

At the end of the drainage channel path after the Gnarly Oak – in the same spot that I found likely Comatricha nigra in December – we uncovered more of this slime mould sporangia.

Near The Outpost, on a promising sectioned trunk that we had been checking out on recent visits:

There was a wonderful display of Badhamia utricularis, but is wasn’t as spectacular as our find in December 2023.

Over the next few days and during the rest of February we returned to check out the progress of this slime mould.

3rd/4th/5th February

On the following days, we noticed that the trunk was not only populated by other slime mould sporangia – Hemitrichia decipiens and Arcyria denudata, but also widespread curry-yellow plasmodia. We suspected that the plasmodia was Badhamia utricularis given the presence of B. utricularis sporangia on the trunk [See further photos of these plasmodia].

These buff peridial cups are likely Hemitrichia decipiens.

Some young orange and likely mature buff sporangia Hemitrichia decipiens.

Also on the trunk were the remnants of the Stemonitis we saw in December 2024.

The luminescent orange Hemitrichia decipiens.

A few days later the sporothecae had deflated.

Three weeks later the sporothecae had not dehisced – a few were a pale orange and the rest were a light vinaceous grey, and in the crevice to the right some new sporangia had developed.

At the base of this sectioned trunk, the daughter (with her younger eyes) spotted Arcyria denudata on some detached bark.

A few days later the A. denudata sporotheca had erupted into candyfloss-like capillitial masses.

Xylaria hypoxylon – candlesnuff fungus near The Outpost on a small diameter stump.

16th February 2025

At The Dell I spotted a lilac scat with embedded seeds.

And a possible slime mould plasmodium.

Towards the end of the Woodland trail after The Outpost, some likely Comatricha nigra and Trichia varia.

The photo below is a close up of the group on the right in the above photo.

2nd March 2025

At the fallen trunk at The Dell where we found Hemitrichia clavata and Scutellinia (eyelash fungi), the trunk was populated with gregarious groups of glossy black, likely Metatrichia floriformis sporangia. In the photo below you can just make out some stalked sporangia.

Another group of M. floriformis sporangia.

On the 9th March the many of the sporothecae of the M. floriformis in the photo above had dehisced, exposing the orange spore masses.

And at the end of March the orange spore masses predominated over the peridial husks.

And on the fallen trunk near The Outpost, more Hemitrichia decipiens.

9th March 2025

On the fallen trunk near The Outpost, we spotted what we believe to be some white slime mould primordia. Given that the trunk was also populated with Hemitrichia decipiens with orange sporangia, it’s possible that these white primordia are also H. decipiens.

23rd March 2025

Along the path from the car park to the railway crossing an unidentified crust fungus on the cut of a branch.

On the way to Bascamp, on the mossy end of a decaying log, I spotted more sporophytes of what I believe to be Lophocolea heterophylla – the variable-leaved crestwort.

Near The Outpost something that could be a slime mould aethalium?

And an aged Stemonitis where the sporotheca seem to have fused into fractured crust.

30th March 2025

Near The Outpost, we came across our first Reticularia lycoperdon aethalium (false puffball) of the year. Its peridium was entirely absent, exposing the mass of capillitium and spores.