On Friday I managed to gain access to a private garden at Thorpe Marriott in the NW outskirts of Norwich. With help from a friend or two!
The reason was the first county record of the stunning Red Cage Fungus, Clathrus ruber. This curious spcies is one of the greater 'stinkhorn' family of fungi that emerge from an 'egg'. They burst out in all their glory only to quickly fade and wither. Hence the urgency of going on Friday rather than waiting. The lady who owned the house was very accommodating and we learned that this is the 3rd one to pop up and she promised to tip us off if there's a 4th! Nearby along the Marriot's Way I found a couple of nice Rooting Boletes which Jeremy has kindly examined and confirmed.
Earlier in the day I'd made a rather disappointing visit to Booton Common where I found little in the way of fungi (just Leopard Earthball of note) but three nice plants - a massive clump of Giant Goldenrod, Alder Buckthorn and Bifid Hemp Nettle. Cutting my losses I grabbed a coffee in Reepham and decided to try nearby Upgate Common, a site I'd not visited for years. It was a good call as there was plenty of fungal interest - literally thousands of Common Puffballs, Common Earthball, Scaly Earthball, Yellow Swamp Brittlegill, Birch Milkcap, Tawny Grisette, Cep (aka Penny Bun), Charcoal Burner, Deer Shield, Fairy Inkcap, Amethyst Deceiver and The Blusher. A Girdled Snail was a first for me too.
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