Plants and animals of Pointfield

Large fungus, up to 18 cm diameter. Cap dry, pale grey towards margins but becoming darker blue-grey or slighly red-grey over central parts. Irregular in outline, often with slight notched margin. Low-domed initially becoming funnel-shaped and concave in maturity. Gills decurrent, off-white to fawn in colour and densely spaced; unbranched. Stalk same colour as cap; slightly expanded at base; fibrose; off-white. No ring. First image shows relatively fresh mushrooms in early October; second image shows the same patch in late December. Spore print white. Spores small, pip-shaped with prominent apiculus; smoothg; no germ pore; 5.5-6.9 x 2.9-3.6; mean = 6.0 x 3.2, N = 16; Q = 1.9. No cystidia. Basidia 4-spored.

In dense leaf and wood litter in woodland beneath the holly trees, on East and West boundaries; rather common. Also a large individual in January appeared at the edge of the leylandii hedge underneath holly trees.