Friday 1 October 2010

Fungi Friday - Post Hill, Pudsey

A few more fungi from last Sunday's visit to Post Hill Wood, Pudsey, a Leeds City Council designated Leeds Nature Area. Its a steep sloping area of birch and oak woodland rising up between Pudsey and Farsley with marshland at the base adjoining Pudsey Beck. It has an interesting history, in 1926 it was opened as an area for motorcycle sport, where it was named after the Yorkshire Evening Post, and it continues to be used by West Leeds Motor Club. Apparently during WW2 it was the site of an anti aircraft post and a POW camp.

As well as the scarlet red Fly Agaric we found a few more fungi, such as this  damaged Earthball (Scleroderma) which was worth a snap, it was surprisingly weighty & covered in a tough scaly skin.   



A cluster of cap and stem fungi growing underneath Hawthorn and birch.


A purple tinged cap and stem fungi growing amongst leaf litter under a Hawthorn


Growing in clusters through dense leaf litter, Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum), their surface is covered with tiny spines that wear away as they mature. The darker area is where the pores develop and the spores released. 


Finishing with a splash of colour, Stag Horn fungus (Colocera viscosa), bright orange-yellow tiny fungus, 2-3cm tall, growing through moss on a conifer stump.



Post Hill is worth a visit, if you do go I recommend clambering to the top of the hill where the views are worth the effort. Leeds Countryside Volunteers Newsletter pdf (1.8Mb) includes an article on Post Hill.  

4 comments:

  1. I like the Staghorn fungus, really strong colour

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  2. I'm pleased you put up the photo of the Common Puffball - now I know what has suddenly appeared in my garden.

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  3. I've never seen any fungus the colour of that Stag Horn! It's nice to go exploring close to home isn't it? :-)

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  4. Hello CB, yes its a really vivid yellow, and really stands out against the moss.

    Hello John, oh good, glad to be of assistance.

    Hello Pam, its great to discover new places relatively close to home. Its a lovely colour isn't it.

    Thanks all for stopping by, Linda

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