What do you make of this one then?

[MikeWilkinson]

Anyone have a clue what this is, my shroom and funghi knowledge is restricted to the easy ones like the boletes and some of the easier bracket funghi. My first thought was Oyster, but being that it is on the ground and was more brown than blue/grey I'm not to sure?

1694 1695 1696

It was found in a fairly damp clough on the ground between between some hazel trees and a Silver Birch. There is a couple of sycamores near by too, but the main leaf litter is that of the hazel and birch.

I've put my walking stick in one of the pictures as a guide to size, the double ring on the walking stick is 0.5m, the single ring a 1' and each of the notches represent an 1".

[Reaps72]

It looks like oyster mushrooms but don't quote me!

[Martin]

My vote goes to 'Hen of the Woods'. Quite a delicacy but one that only flowers every few years. If the whole fruit is picked, it won't produce spores and it won't flower again. We found this out to our disappointment when we picked one at Woodland Valley a couple of years ago. Mind you, it made a mushroom ommelette for about 12 of us so it did serve its purpose.

Martin

[MikeWilkinson]

I've thought that a possibility martin, but Hen of the woods doesn't have gills?

[Reaps72]

I had a quick shufty about and found this link should help with general id http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/oyster-mushroom.html The Collins pocket guide to mushrooms is a must have resource for budding foragers!

[Martin]

I've thought that a possibility martin, but Hen of the woods doesn't have gills?

Good call Mike. Now I have a closer look at the picture, and I'm not at work, I can see the gills. Dead right sir, not Hen of the Woods. :)

Martin

[Geoff Dann]

I think this is probably Armillaria tabescens (Ringless Honey Fungus). It does look a bit like Hen of the Woods from the thumbnails.

Geoff