Last weekend we had a bioblitz as one of the many events this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Wellington Botanic Garden. We have had a reasonably dry hot summer and last weekend featured the beginning of the colder and wetter weather of autumn. All the species observed were recorded at iNaturalistNZ in the project Wellington Botanic Garden BioBlitz 2019.

A false truffle (Rhizopogon sp.) – These false truffles grow in mycorrhizal association with pines, in this case Pinus radiata. False truffle spieces  are very difficult to tell apart. There specims had a little red so could be Rhizopogon rubescens. All the species of Rhizopogon in New Zealand have been introduced along with their mycorrhizal hosts.

Cocoa boletus (Tylopilus brunneus) – This is a native bolete and here in the gardens is in mycorrhizal associated with Nothofagus menziesii and Kunzea ericoides. The pores bruise blue and quickly turn grey as does the tissue in the stipe when it is cut.

A fibrecap (Inocybe sp.) – We have two sets of Inocybe species in New Zealand. Those that are native and in mycorrhizal association with Nothofagus, Leptopsermum and Kunzea. And those exotic species in association with introduced species such us Pinus. These are probably the latter growing within the root zone of Pinus radiata, although this is confused by the presence of some young kanaka.

Garlic shanklet (Mycetinis curraniae) – This little native fungus is found growing usually on the bark of living trees. The photo below is totara bark (Podocarpus totara). I also found it growing on kanaka bark (Kunzea ericoides). If you crush a fruitbody between the palms of your hands you should be able to smell garlic.

Scarlet flycap (Amanita muscaria) – The king of our exotic species scarlet flycap is mycorrhizal and in this case growing with blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus libani subsp. atlantica ‘Glauca’).

Red-footed bolete (Xerocomellus sp.) – This is an exotic species and in this case while apparently growing amongst native broadleaf regen it is clearly within the root zone of a large old Pinus radiata. The photos below show the blue to gray bruising in the cut stipe tissue and a little above the pores.

I don’t know what this little, white spored, wood decay fungus is? I’m assuming at this stage it is native as it was growing on a fallen rotten branch in  broadleaf  regen. I will continue to chase this one.

Orange poreconch (Favolsachia calocera) – Ubiquitous. It was growing on fallen branches under broadleaf regen.

Salmon waxgill  (Hygrophorus salmonipes) – I’m not certain of the identification of this little waxgill but given the pinkish colouring when I photographed it away from bright light I’m suggesting it might be a salmon waxgill. It was growing in the leaflitter under broadleaf regen.

Ruby helmet (Cruentomycena viscidocruenta) – These ruby helmets were growing about 20cm from the salmon waxgills above and again under broadleaf regen..

Charcoal flycap (Amanita nothofagi) – The native charcoal flycap was growing within the root zone of its mycorrhizal associate kanaka (Kunzea ericoides).

Tree swordbelt (Cyclocybe parasitica) – The tree swordbelt was common across the Garden growing on living trees in the case kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile).

Yellow flycap (Amanita junquillea) – Since this species was first found in Wellington in 2014 it has rapidly spread across the city. This is the first time I have seen it in the pine grove in the Garden and these are the oldest pine plantings in New Zealand.

Clitocybula sp. – This is a best guess for this little wood decay fungus. It was collected by David Sole from under broadleaf regen. What I like about this one is it shows you can discover potentially new species less than half a kilometre from parliament!

Downy milkcap (Lactarius pubescens) – An exotic mycorrhizal species associated with silver birch (Betula pendula).

A puffball (Scleroderma sp.) – These are common in cultivated garden throughout the Garden.Here they are growing in a mulched and irrigated shrubbery.

Pine knight (Tricholoma batschii) – The exotic red-brown Tricholoma under pines has had many names attributed to it since the 1960s. Currently it is being attributed to Tricholoma batchii – watch this space.

Black-olive bolete (Phlebopus portentosus) – Not strictly part of the Bioblitz this bolete grows in the lower section of the  Bolton Street Cemetery which is contiguous with the Garden. The black-olive bolete is associated here with some very big old pines (Pinus radiata).

If you want to read more comments about these species please check the species index on the left hand side of the screen which has links to the appropriate blogs.