The flowerbeds in Park Square, Leeds City Centre are currently home to abundant clusters of small cap & stem mushrooms. The beds have been heavily mulched with a thick layer of wood chip providing an ideal habitat for fungi. Could they be Psathyrella species?
Patrick Harding's Mushroom Miscellany includes an interesting chapter on the increased use of woodchip as mulch by City Councils throughout the UK & of how it has resulted in the appearance of diverse fungi species. Its certainly worth a read.
Its great to see the natural world in action smack bang in the middle of the City.
And in an adjacent flowerbed these whoppers were on display, one of the caps lay nearby which offered an easy view of the gills.
The mushrooms certainly seem to be thriving amongst the wood chippings.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are John, I returned to the park this evening and they're still present albeit in smaller numbers & looking a tad bedraggled. Leeds City Council use a lot of this bulky woodchip mulch & I cant resist a nosey around. I found another interesting fungi this evening in a City Centre flowerbed that Ive yet to identify. Thanks for your comments. L
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