Slime Moulds & Fungi at Strumpshaw Fen – May 2024 Overview

2 June 2024

There was a lot to see this month so this post is an overview and I’ll aim to post separately about the some of species we encountered during May.

We began to see more Stemonitis and Lycogala epidendrum and our first Fuligo septica of the year.

Early May

In the Zen Zone the slime mould parasitic fungus Stilbella was still prolific (below) and we would continue to see it again throughout the month.

Stilbella – The Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024

Near the Yew Grove — along the Woodland Trail — we spotted some Xylaria polymorpha (dead man’s fingers).

Xylaria polymorpha – Yew Grove along the Woodland Trail
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024
Xylaria polymorpha – Yew Grove along the Woodland Trail
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024
Xylaria polymorpha – Yew Grove along the Woodland Trail
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024

We went to visit these Xylaria polymorpha again later in the month. The group below is the same as the group in the photo above two weeks later.

Xylaria polymorpha – Yew Grove along the Woodland Trail
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024

Before The Outpost inside a rotting stump we spotted three juvenile Lycogala epidendrum aethalia.

Lycogala epidendrum – before The Outpost
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024
Lycogala epidendrum – before The Outpost
Strumpshaw Fen – 5th May 2024

Mid-May

Early mid-May at the Zen Zone we saw this wonderful clump of juvenile Lycogala epidendrum aethalia which we would continue to see throughout the month.

Lycogala epidendrum – Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 11th May 2024

In November 2023 at Basecamp during my daughter’s mycological survey of the woodland at Strumpshaw Fen, she found clusters of Coprinellus micaceus – the Glistening Inkcap – under one of the log circle logs.

Under the same log we found Coprinellus micaceus again.

Coprinellus micaceus – Basecamp
Strumpshaw Fen – 11th May 2024

Near The Outpost we spotted our first Fuligo septica of the year.

First Fuligo septica of the year – near The Outpost
Strumpshaw Fen – 11th May 2024

More May Fuligo septica here.

Late May

Average temperatures began to rise in May but perhaps more importantly for slime moulds, from mid-May we had more rain and we began to see more Stemonitis, Lycogala epidendrum and Fuligo septica.

At the Zen Zone the daughter spotted some Stemonitis spore mass sporangia on a mossy tree stump.

Stemonitis – Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024

And on an adjacent log growing on the moss — a gregarious slime mould with pale orange sporangia with orange stalks.

Unidentified slime mould, maybe Physarum psittacinum – Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024
Unidentified slime mould, maybe Physarum psittacinum – Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024

In and amongst the orange sporangia were more mature sporangia — maybe of the orange slime above? It’s difficult to see but could these mature sporangia have orange stalks?

Unidentified slime mould, maybe Physarum psittacinum – Zen Zone
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024

I’m leaning towards wanting this slime mould to be Physarum psittacinum.

Although a Google image search brings up wonderfully sharp and colourfully photos that bear little resemblance to mine — following up with Bruce Ing’s identification handbook doesn’t rule out this slime mould being P. psittacinum :

Sporocarps stalked sporangia, gregarious, often in large developments, globose… Stalk brilliant orange or reddish-brown… Plasmodium yellow or orange

Out of the The Dell and before the Sandy Glade, on a decaying section of trunk to the side of the path, we spotted groups of what at first glance looked like Stemonitis.

Possibly Arcyria obvelata – before the Sandy Glade
Strumpshaw Fen – 9.45am 19the May 2024
Possibly Arcyria obvelata – before the Sandy Glade
Strumpshaw Fen – 9.45am 19th May 2024

But nine hours later our expectations were confounded!

Possibly Arcyria obvelata – before the Sandy Glade
Strumpshaw Fen – 7.15pm 19the May 2024

After a Google image search I’m thinking — could this be Arcyria obvelata ? A week later there was no sign of this slime mould.

In the area towards the end of the Woodland Trail we found some slime mould similar to the orange slime mould with orange stalks that we found at the Zen Zone (above).

Unidentified slime mould, maybe Physarum psittacinum – end of Woodland Trail
Strumpshaw Fen – 19th May 2024

And more Stemonitis — in the morning we saw the Stemonitis below as developing sporangia.

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 10.30am – 19th May 2024

And in the evening it had collapsed into a dark amorphous mass…

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 7.30pm – 19th May 2024

On a fallen trunk — on which we have previously seen Stemonitis — we spotted a few groups. The two below we saw in the morning as a cluster of immature sporangia (left) and a smaller cluster (right) with more developed sporangia.

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 10.40am – 19th May 2024

And in the evening.

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 7.35pm – 19th May 2024

On the same the trunk another cluster of immature sporangia.

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 10.45am – 19th May 2024

And in the evening it had become a beautiful mass of translucent, vinaceous brown sporangia, some with darker tips.

Stemonitis – end of Woodland Trail area
Strumpshaw Fen – 7.30pm – 19th May 2024

End of May

Near Basecamp, on a well rotting log that is often populated with slime moulds, we spotted Arcyria cinerea.

Arcyria cinerea – near Basecamp
Strumpshaw Fen – 1.30pm – 27th May 2024

In the photo below, the white translucent film looks like it’s the plasmodium of Arcyria cinerea — if you click and zoom in on the photo you can see immature white sporangia forms (and more mature grey forms) developing from the white plasmodium.

Arcyria cinerea plasmodium – near Basecamp
Strumpshaw Fen – 1.30pm – 27th May 2024

And in the woodland near The Dell we spotted some Lasiosphaeria ovina – the wooly woodwart.

Lasiosphaeria ovina – near The Dell
Strumpshaw Fen – 27th May 2024