Story: Saleema Imam
Steve Clements, fungus recorder for the Sorby Natural History Society, has for the past few months been documenting the fungi he has seen on his travels in our area.
Currently teaching ESOL in Burngreave, Steve walks to and from his classes spotting mushrooms and other fungi on the way. Some of them are rare such as the Black Earth Tongue, or poisonous, such as the Brown Rollrim, seen outside YERO on Verdon Street. Interested in fungi since his childhood in Parson Cross, Steve expanded his knowledge during 25 years working in the pathology laboratory at Hallamshire Hospital, where he gave talks to staff on poisonous mushrooms and their effects on the body. Other than the Burngreave green survey several years ago, when a few varieties were spotted in the cemetery, very little has been recorded about mushrooms in Burngreave. Steve is doing his best to rectify this and has been amazed at the number of different varieties he has already been able to photograph and identify (currently over 20).
Found in three main areas – grassland, woodland and in piles of rotting woodchip – some stand out in bright colours and unusual shapes, but a number, like the mildews, are almost too small to be seen without magnification, (e.g. the Maple mildew – which is new to the area and may be spreading because of global warming; and the black sycamore tar spot – which was never found here before the clean air act.)
Mushroom walk
SNHS are planning a ‘Fungus Foray’ in Burngreave Cemetery, led by Dave Buckle, for the 10th September 2011 from 10.30am
Sorby Fungus Group photos
Find more photos of amazing fungi in Sheffield on the Sorby Fungi Flickr site
http://www.flickr.com/groups/975248@N20/
Fungi found in Burngreave
Powdery Mildew of Aster (Golvinomyces cichoreacearum) 21 October 2009, Verdon Street
Sycamore Tarspot (Rhytisma acerinum) 21 October 2009, Spital Street
Powdery Mildew of Maple (Sawadaea tulasnei) 21 October 2009, Verdon Street
a Pinkgill (Entoloma sp.) 03 November 2009, Spital Street Woodchips in shrubbery
Common Cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca) 03 November 2009, Spital Street, Woodchips in shrubbery
Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) 03 June 2010, Burngreave Road, Tree stump
Spring Fieldcap (Agrocybe praecox) 16 June 2010, Verdon Street, woodchips in shrubbery
Powdery Mildew of Buttercup (Erysiphe aquilegiae var. ranunculi) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, On leaves, scrub
Powdery Mildew of Hedge Mustard (Erysiphe cruciferarum) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, On leaves, scrub
Powdery Mildew of Knotgrass (Erysiphe polygoni) 02 September 2010, Rock Street, Roadside
Powdery Mildew of Michaelmas Daisy (Golvinomyces cichoreacearum) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, Front garden.
Powdery Mildew of Smooth Sowthistle (Golvinomyces cichoreacearum) 02 September 2010, Rock Street, Roadside
Sycamore Mildew (Sawadaea bicornis) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, Front garden.
Maple Mildew (Sawadaea tulasnei) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, Front garden.
Maple Mildew (Sawadaea tulasnei) 02 September 2010, Rock Street, Garden
Powdery Mildew of Ribwort Plantain (Sphaerotheca plantaginis) 02 September 2010, Verdon Street, On leaves, scrub
a Fieldcap (Agrocybe sp.) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass
Crazed Cap (Dermoloma cuneifolium) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass
a Bell (Galerina sp.) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass
Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe conica) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass
Brown Rollrim (Paxillus involutus) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass about 9 metres from Birch. Solitary, large.
a Brittlestem (Psathyrella sp.) 28 September 2010, Open space, On mown grass
Sycamore Tarspot (Rhytisma acerinum) 28 September 2010 Open space, On living Sycamore
Powdery Mildew of Maple (Sawadaea tulasnei) 28 September 2010, Verdon Street, On Maple
an Inkcap (Coprinus sp.) 05 October 2010, Verdon Street, Woodchips in shrubbery
a Brittlestem (Psathyrella sp.) 05 October 2010, Verdon Street, Woodchips in shrubbery
An Earthtongue (Trichoglossum sp) 22 November 2010, Verdon Street, mown mossy grass.
