Written by Amy Blaker Warden Cefn Gwlad | Countryside Ranger
Saturday 05th October was a glorious morning for a gathering of the Friends and Loggerheads Rangers Imo, Amy and Jonny; a crisp and bright welcome to spring only a few days after flood clear-up works at the Country Park. It was also UK Fungus Day – an annual celebration of the importance of fungi
Fungi belong to their own kingdom with an estimated 2.5 million species, of which only 5-10% have been identified. They play a crucial role in the balance of ecosystems. They are major decomposers of nature, releasing nitrogen and phosphorus from decaying matter to make them available to other organisms, replenishing the environment with nutrients. Fungi also form symbiotic relationships with other organisms (where both members of the association benefit). This is seen in mycorrhizal fungi, which use extensive networks in the soil known as mycelium or the ‘wood wide web’ to channel messages and resources like water and minerals to the plant and are essential for the growth of 90% of vascular plant species with which they coevolved. In return, the plant supplies the products of photosynthesis to fuel the metabolism of the fungus. They also have extensive applications in medicine, the economy and as food and habitat for wildlife.
The team had previously spied a few specimens which were quickly added to by the eagle-eyed Friends, with identification support from keen mycophile Karen! Here is just a selection of the rich diversity of fungi species which can be found at Loggerheads Country Park.
A rosette of Lumpy Bracket (Trametes gibbosa) fungus growing from a deciduous deadwood stump; many of these appear green due to algae growing among the fine hairs on its surface. Identifiable due to their semi-circular bracket shape, elongated pores on the underside and lumpy fruiting body.
Overlapping tiers on deadwood of Peeling Oysterling (Crepidotus mollis), identifiable due to its peelable cuticle, shell-shaped fruiting body and pale brown gills; its endearing alternative common names include the jelly crepe, soft slipper or flabby crepidotus.
King Alfred’s Cake (Daldinia concentrica) grow primarily on beech or ash, and look like lumps of smooth charcoal, brown or black in colour. Amongst other ‘tinder’ fungi, they have been foraged for as far back as the stone age for use as a firelighters.
Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus); members of the Inkcap genus autodigest themselves into an inky, black liquid using their own enzymes, releasing spores to reproduce from the tightly packed gills as they separate and curl back. This process is called… deliquescence!
Lemon drop fungus (Bisporella citrina), sac fungi with spherical bodies becoming trumpet shaped cups up to 3mm in diameter that look like tiny beads of sunshine, found on decaying deciduous wood.
Artist’s Bracket (Ganoderma Applanatum) found commonly on hardwoods such as the magnificent Beech pictured here. The young, white pores on the underside stains when damaged and becomes permanent when dried. Can you see the spores which have been released in the understorey below?
A striking flash of turquoise, the Green elf cup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens) fungus is often only seen as a staining of deadwood from the mycelium, but here we can see the far less common small fruiting bodies.
Fforio, Ffyngau a Ffrindiau!
Wedi’i ysgrifennu gan Amy Blaker Warden Cefn Gwlad | Countryside Ranger
Roedd dydd Sadwrn, 5 Hydref yn fore bendigedig i Gyfeillion a Cheidwaid Loggerheads, Imo, Amy a Jonny ddod at ei gilydd; croeso braf i’r hydref, dim ond ychydig ddyddiau ar ôl y gwaith glanhau ar ôl y llifogydd yn y Parc Gwledig. Roedd hi hefyd yn Ddiwrnod Ffyngau y DU – dathliad blynyddol o bwysigrwydd ffyngau. Mae ffyngau yn rhan o’u teyrnas eu hunain gydag oddeutu 2.5 miliwn o rywogaethau, a dim ond 5-10% o’r rhain sydd wedi cael eu canfod. Maent yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yng nghydbwysedd ecosystemau. Maent yn ddadelfenwyr natur mawr, sy’n rhyddhau nitrogen a ffosfforws o fater sy’n pydru i’w gwneud ar gael i organebau eraill, gan ailgyflenwi’r amgylchedd gyda maetholion. Mae ffyngau hefyd yn ffurfio perthnasau symbiotig gydag organebau eraill (lle mae’r ddau aelod o’r gymdeithas yn elwa). Gweler hyn mewn ffyngau mycorhisol, sy’n defnyddio rhwydweithiau helaeth yn y pridd a elwir yn fyseliwm neu’r ‘we goed eang’ i sianelu negeseuon ac adnoddau megis dŵr a mwynau i’r planhigyn ac maent yn hanfodol ar gyfer twf 90% o rywogaethau o blanhigion fasgwlaidd sy’n datblygu gyda’i gilydd. Yn gyfnewid, mae’r planhigyn yn darparu cynhyrchion ffotosynthesis i ysgogi metaboledd y ffwng. Maent hefyd yn cael eu defnyddio’n helaeth mewn meddyginiaeth, yr economi ac fel bwyd a chynefin i fywyd gwyllt.
Roedd y tîm wedi gweld rhai esiamplau yn flaenorol ac fe ychwanegwyd atynt gan y Cyfeillion craff, gyda chymorth gan Karen, sy’n frwd dros fforio am ffwng, i’w hadnabod. Dyma ddetholiad o’r rhywogaethau cyfoethog ac amrywiol o ffyngau y gellir eu canfod ym Mharc Gwledig Loggerheads.
Rhoséd o ffwng Trametes Gibbosa yn tyfu o foncyff coeden ddeilgwymp farw; mae llawer o’r rhain yn ymddangos yn wyrdd oherwydd yr algâu sy’n tyfu yng nghanol y blew bach sydd ar y wyneb. Gellir eu hadnabod oherwydd eu siâp braced hanner cylch, mandyllau hirgul ar yr ochr isaf a chorff hadol lympiog.
Haenau Crepidotus mollis sy’n gorgyffwrdd ar bren marw, gellir ei adnabod oherwydd y croen sy’n pilio, corff hadol fel siâp cragen a thagellau brown golau; mae ei enwau cyffredin amgen yn cynnwys y canlynol: ‘jelly crepe’, ‘soft slipper’neu ‘flabby crepidotus’.
Mae Cacennau’r Brenin Alfred (Daldinia concentrica) yn tyfu’n bennaf ar goed ffawydd neu goed ynn, ac yn edrych fel lympiau o siarcol esmwyth brown neu ddu. Ymhlith ffyngau ‘golosged y coed’ eraill, maent wedi cael eu fforio cyn belled yn ôl ag Oes y Cerrig er mwyn eu defnyddio i ddechrau tanau.
Capiau Inc Sgleiniog (Coprinellus micaceus): mae rhywogaethau Capiau Inc yn treulio eu hunain i hylif du, inciog yn defnyddio eu hensymau eu hunain, gan ryddhau sborau i atgynhyrchu o’r tagellau tynn wrth iddynt wahanu a chyrlio’n ôl. Gelwir y broses hon yn wlybyredd!
Gweler Bisporella citrina, ffyngau sach gyda chyrff cylchol sy’n newid i gwpanau siâp trwmped hyd at 3mm mewn diamedr sy’n edrych fel perlau bach o haul, ar goed collddail sy’n pydru.
Ceir Ganoderma Applanatum yn aml ar bren caled megis y Ffawydden fendigedig a welir yma. Mae’r mandyllau gwyn, ifanc ar yr ochr isaf yn staenio pan gaiff ei ddifrodi ac mae’n dod yn barhaol ar ôl sychu. Ydych chi’n gallu gweld y sborau sydd wedi cael eu rhyddhau yn yr islawr isod?
Gyda fflach o wyrddlas golau, mae’r ffwng cwpan gorrach werdd (Chlorociboria aeruginascens) yn aml ond yn cael ei weld fel staen ar bren marw o’r myseliwm, ond yma fe allwn weld y cyrff hadol bach sy’n llawer llai cyffredin.