The last of the harvest

With the wet and windy spell we had this last August, the weather has been far from perfect for harvesting. Instead, many crops have been ruined and many farmers have found it hard going. This August has been one of the wettest Augusts on record, which is a huge contrast from this time last year when it was the hottest and driest month on record. Nevertheless, there is a good crop of wild fruit and nuts this year. Despite the rain, the woodlands are already showing signs of the leaves turning orange or dried up and brown. The abundant fruit has ripened very quickly this year, but then the rain has allowed mould and bacteria to attack it and so a lot of it is rotting quickly. This could cause problems for the animals and birds later in the year and many of them may find looking for food very difficult unless they store their food away. If possible landowners, including gardeners, should refrain from cutting hedgerows until January as this will help the wildlife have a better chance of finding food.

Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarella)

The evenings are already drawing in and the nights are much colder. We can hope for some nice sunny days this September but with the strange weather we have been having it wouldn’t surprise me if we have some more wet and windy weather before the month is up. With the dew-laden mornings it feels like the autumn is well on its way and there are a few wild flowers out that bear the name “autumn” before them to look out for this month.

The purple-flowered Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarella) can be found up on the chalk downs now. It has the other name of Felwort. This plant has been used to treat a number of ailments and conditions like cramps, bites for mad dogs, bites from venomous beasts and the loss of appetite. The gentian was named after an ancient king of the Illyrians named “Gentius” who first discovered its herbal properties.

Autumn Lady’s-tresses (Spirathes spiralis)

Another flower to be found out on the downs is Autumn Lady’s-tresses (Spirathes spiralis), which is an orchid. This white flowered orchid is unusual in that its flowers grow up the stem in an almost perfect spiral. It is not only found growing on the Downs but on short turf of some garden lawns and in some cases is found growing in the hundreds. Just occasionally in Sussex it can be found growing on heathland as I did for this picture. The plant has a pleasant fragrance, however, you can only smell it during the evening.

The Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)

There are also an abundance of mushrooms and toadstools to look out for at this time of year. They are looking particularly good at the moment, particularly with all this early rain we have been having. The Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) is one of the more unusual fungi to be found. This fungus is usually smelt before it is seen. The smell emanates from the olive-brown slime that is found on its bell-shaped top. The smell will attract flies from long distances. They come to settle on the fungus because of the smell and the green slime sticks to their legs. This slime is full of spores, which are distributed all over the surrounding area as the flies go elsewhere and the spores fall off them. Before long, the slime disappears and a white raised rib meshwork appears at the top of the fungus. This new revealed white surface does not last for long, because slugs and bacteria quickly get to work and decompose it. The spores settle on rotting wood where new Stinkhorn fungi will appear in the future given the right conditions. During the early stages of this fungus, it resembles an egg and does not smell. It is edible, but tasteless but none the less it was eaten a lot in the past because it was believed to be an aphrodisiac. This belief only came about because of it resembling a phallic shape.

Wood Mushroom (Agaricus silvcola)

A fungus to be seen in deciduous woodland or conifer woodland is the Wood Mushroom (Agaricus silvcola). This fungus has a far pleasanter smell, which resembles aniseed. This mushroom has been sought after for centuries because of the full mushroom taste it has and not being poisonous.

Another fungus that you may discover is the Collared Earth Star (Geastrum triplex). It is the commonest of all the Earth Star fungi to be found in this country.

Collared Earth Star (Geastrum triplex)

It is to be found among leaf-litter of deciduous woodland and it is a relative of the puffball family. It disperses its spores in clouds of what looks visually like smoke when trodden on or during rain showers when mature. This fungus is not edible.

Wasp (Dolichovespula media)

With all the fruit, ripening everywhere there is a large increase in wasps and hornets around. In addition to our native wasps, there is a new species of wasp, which has recently appeared in the south over the last few years (Dolichovespula media). It has come over from the continent and looks like it is here to stay. You can identify this wasp more easily from its nest than any other way. The nest is the size of a football and at present always found in a hedgerow.

Next month the nights will be drawing in and many visitors will be arriving whilst our summer residents will be leaving.