Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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Fungi Foray 4 November 2025

4 Nov 2025

On 4 November 2025, Dr Colin Pope led another Fungi Foray in Ryde Cemetery.  The weather was dry and not too windy, quite a good range of Fungi were to be seen, but not as many as the previous year. Images can be found on the nature page of the website here.

Dr Pope’s notes of the morning:
Despite the mild, damp weather, this year fungi were thin on the ground. However, with around 28 pairs of eyes eagerly looking for specimens, we found quite a few in the end. Sadly, the most abundant and conspicuous was the Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) which was responsible for the death of a number of mature specimen trees in the south side of the cemetery. The clumps of Honey Fungus were past their best but nevertheless were striking. Altogether, we were able to name 26 different species, fewer than last year, but including eight Waxcaps, one of the specialist group of grassland fungi, the same number as in 2024. A pleasant and unexpected find was a Slow-worm (short of a tail!) at the western end of the cemetery. We were able to identify the following species:

Blushing Wood Mushroom (Agaricus silvaticus)

Inky Yellow-staining Mushroom (Agaricus placomyces)

Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea)

Chicken Run Funnel (Clitocybe phaeophthalma)

Glistening Inkcap (Coprinus micaceus)

A Webcap (Cortinarius sp.)

Golden Waxcap (Hygrocybe chlorophana)

Scarlet Waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea)

Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe conica)

Fibrous Waxcap (Hygrocybe intermedia)

Slimy Waxcap (Hygrocybe irrigata)

Meadow Waxcap (Hygrocybe pratensis)

Parrot Waxcap (Hygrocybe psittacina)

Snowy Waxcap (Hygocybe virginea)

Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasiculare)

White Fibrecap (Inocybe geophylla)

Violet Fibrecap (Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina)

The Deceiver (Laccaria laccata)

Common Cavalier (Melaleuca polioleuca)

Iodine Bonnet (Mycena filopes)

A Brittlestem (Psathyrella sp.)

Orange Mosscap (Ricknella fibula)

Collared Mosscap (Ricknella swartzii)

A Brittlegill (Russula sp.)

Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum)

Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor)

Image: Courtesy of Dr Colin & Jillie Pope (with many thanks to them for leading the Foray)