cicutarium, Sheep's Sorrel Rumex acetosella, Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea and Small Cudweed 

 Filago minima. Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Ling and Dwarf Gorse Ulex minor were all in flower. A 

 number of the big and hairy caterpillars of the Fox Moth Macrothylacia rub/ were seen. Protected from 

 trampling behind a fence was an area of lichen heath and a number of different species were identified 

 -the delicate branched Cladonia portentosa, the more stumpy C. uncialis, the cups of C. ctiloroptiaea 

 and the browner C. rangiferina. Alder Buckthorn Frangula ainus bushes were covered in black berries 

 and there were some big colonies of wood ants. 



The walk at Thursley started from the Moat car park, with White Water-lilies Nymphaea alba in the 

 nearby pond. The dominant plants were sedges, rushes and mosses. There were two different kinds 

 of carnivorous sundews - the Oblong-leaved variety Drosera intermedia on bare peat and the Round- 

 leaved Sundew D. rotundifolia on moss, with the Marsh Clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata growing 

 nearby. Raised water levels on the reserve meant that the track was flooded in several places, which 

 forced some delicate balancing on submerged planks. Marsh St John's-wort IHypericum elodes, Bog 

 Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum, Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliata and a bladderwort were all growing 

 near the path. A few late Swallows and House Martins were still to be seen. Towards the end of the 

 walk, two Raft Spiders Dolomedes fimbriatus were spotted, lurking on the surface of the water next to 

 the board walk. 



Sunday 14 October 



Europe's most poisonous fungus, the Death Cap Amanita phalloides, was the one of the highlights of 

 the fungus foray which Gordon Crutchfield led at New Copse, Gallowstree Common. It has a smooth 

 greenish cap and its swollen base is encased in a white bag or 'volva'. Fortunately this is a rare fungus, 

 because if consumed, its toxins destroy cells in the liver and kidneys and it is usually lethal. The Death 

 Cap was spotted close to the path and Gordon picked it up for closer inspection, at which point the 

 cap broke off the stem. It is to be hoped that he washed his hands carefully before eating supper. 

 Heavy rain in the preceding days had contributed to a bountiful selection of fungi in the woods for the 

 11 members who had come on the walk. Two different sorts of puff-ball were identified - the Common 

 Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum growing on soil, and the pear-shaped L. pyriforme on dead wood. Butter 

 Cap Collybia butyracea, with a greasy-feeling cap, was plentiful near the entrance to the woods. 

 Saffrondrop Bonnet Mycena crocata is a Chilterns speciality. Its stem exudes an orange-staining liquid 

 and it was growing under Beech. Other finds under the Beech trees included purple Amethyst 

 Deceivers Laccaria amethystea, the white fingers of Stag's Hom Xylaria hypoxylon, Red-cracked 

 Boletus Boletus chrysenteron, Common Yellow Russula Russula ochroleuca and the Glistening Ink 

 Cap Coprinus micaceus. A large yellow slug looked like a fallen leaf. On the edge of a grassy ride 

 junction were a number of tall Parasol Mushrooms Macrolepiota procera, with an obvious ring and a 

 snakeskin pattern on the stem. Gymnopilus junonius is a tawny coloured gill fungus which normally 

 grows at the base of trees. A surprise find was a specimen growing 2 metres up the trunk of a Beech 

 tree, masquerading as a bracket fungus. On the walk back, a number of twisted specimens of Elfin 

 Saddle Helvella crispa were found in the grass at the side of the ride and a single red Fly Agaric 

 Amanita muscaria was growing under birch. 



Thursday 1 November 



Wakehurst Place in West Sussex was the destination for the joint coach trip with Reading Gardeners 

 on Thursday 1 November, organised by Ian Duddle. Wakehurst Place is run jointly by the National 

 Trust and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The visit had been arranged to catch the best of the 

 autumn colours, but it proved to be an unpredictable season - many trees were still green, some had 

 already dropped their leaves and a few were at their best. Near the entrance to the gardens was an 

 eye-catching drift of pink and white cyclamens. Two guided tours of the grounds had been organised. 

 The first group started out via the enormous sequoias to the water garden. Next to the stream were a 

 number of clumps of Royal Fern Osmunda regalis and several Black-poplar Populus nigra trees were 

 growing nearby. The path then went along the side of the valley to a viewpoint which looked out over 

 a steep outcrop of sandstone. The route continued into an area with North American trees, before 

 returning through the pinetum, where there were some interesting fungi, including a clump of Fly 

 Agarics and a ring of funnel-shaped fungi. On the lawn in front of the house, the spikes of many small 

 yellow club fungi were poking through the grass. In the afternoon, most of the party looked round the 

 Millennium Seed Bank. There were informative displays about the collection, cleaning, drying and 

 chilling of the seeds. One of the panels explained the problem of recalcitrant seeds, which cannot be 



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