Lichens

Lichens growing on a small dead tree: Lecidella elaeochroma (round black spots with light green background) and an Opegrapha sp, probably Opegrapha atra (irregular black markings on white background).

I took the following specimen:

However, I was unable to get any spores from it.

First photo and specimen taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-01-25.

Hazel Catkins

Male catkins of hazel (Corylus avellana).

I took the following specimen back home with me:

This yielded the following pollen (magnification x600, field width 86um):

This and other photos I took show two distinct sizes of pollen grain. The larger ones are about 31 x 28um and the smaller about 24 x 21um.  I am not sure why there are two sizes.

First photo and specimen taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-01-11.

Crust Fungus

A Stereum sp crust fungus, probably Stereum gausapatum, growing on a log of a broad-leaf tree.

I took the following specimen:

This shows red bleeding where it has been bruised, which is a characteristic of S. gausapatum.

This specimen yielded the following spores (magnification x600, field width 86um):

These are about 8 x 4um which agrees reasonably well with the range of 7-8 x 3-3.5um  given for S. gausapatum at RogersMusrooms.com.

First photo and specimen taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2013-12-30.

Oysterling Mushroom

A small white oysterling mushroom, probably Crepidotus cesatii.

I took a specimen.  This is the upper surface:

And this is the lower surface:

It yielded these spores (magnification x600, field width 86um):

These are about 6 x 5um which agrees reasonably well with the 6.5-8 x 5-7um given for C. cesatii here but is too broad for the 5–7 x 3–3.5um given for the similar-looking Crepidotus variabilis at RogersMushrooms.

First photo and specimen taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-01-11.

Jelly Fungus

Blobs of the black jelly fungus Exidia glandulosa growing on a dead branch of an oak tree (Quercus sp).

This branch had been colonised by at least half a dozen species of fungi, of which three are visible here: to the right are purplish-grey growths of the crust fungus Peniophora quercina while the branch that has E. glandulosa on it is  also covered with small black spots of Diatrypella quercina.

I took this specimen of the E. glandulosa:

This yielded the following spores (magnification x600, field width 86um):

These are about 16 x 4um which agrees reasonably well with the 14-19 x 4.5-5.5um given for E. glandulosa here.

First photo and specimen take in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-01-25.