Fungi

Fungi are of neither mammalian or plant origin, occupying a kindom of their own. The commonest part of the fungus that is encountered is the fruiting body that appears above ground containing the spores. It should be noted that underground a large network of mycelia and hyphae exists perforating the substrate releasing a cocktail of compounds to degrade the decaying substrate. The ability of fungi to derive nutrients from decaying matter such as rotting trees is termed saprophytous.

Fungi can be identified on the basis of a number of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, including, spore structure, cap shape and colour, presence of gills or tubes, flesh colour, smell and habitat.

Note: Fungi can be toxic if eaten. If collecting for eating, please take care and consult an expert if uncertain.

Fungi possess a tough flesh. The fruiting layer consists of either pores or gills. The stem is attached by one side to wood.

Amanita muscaria (??? cm) Fly agaric Plutaceae Cap is initially spherical and enveloped by a white veil. The cap then opens through the veil revealing the distinctive convex or flat red cap with white flecks of the disintegrated veil. Cap is up to 15 cm in diameter. White gills with white spores. Thick white stem with even diameter until the bulbous base. White flesh is inedible due to toxic chemicals. Produces mucosimol that can cause hallucination. Found in coniferous forests. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Coprinus comatus (??? cm) Shaggy ink-cap Coprinaceae Cap is acorn-shaped when first emerged, generally white with a light brown top with curved flaky scales (up to 8 cm). When aged, the cap curls up from the rim, becoming pink then black upon liquefication. Gills are white turning purplish-red to black. Black spores. Strong white stem. White flesh - edible unless undergoing liquefication. Image taken at Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Aleuria aurantia (??? cm) Orange peel fungus Pyronemataceae Bowl-shaped or spread flat orange contorted or ripped lobes (2-3 cm but up to 10 cm). Flesh is inedible . Found in fused clumps on soil containing plenty of rotting material. Widespread and common. Image taken at ????? .

Xylaria hypoxylon (??? cm) Stag's horn fungus, Candlesnuff fungus Xylriaceae Hard and firm antler-shaped structures, black at the base and the rest white (up to 2 cm). Flesh is inedible . Found throughout the year, but predominantly in autumn and winter on rotting deciduous wood. Widespread and common. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Pleurotus ostreatus Oyster mushroom Lentinaceae Cap is smooth, shell-shaped with an inrolled margin that changes colour from dark grey to light brown with age (up to 12 cm). White crowded gills with white spores. Short white stem. Scentless white flesh is edible . Found from October to March in dense cluster on stumps or living deciduous trees. Widespread and common. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Coprinus atramentarius (??? cm) Common ink-cap Coprinaceae Initially the cap is egg-shaped then broadens becoming bell-shaped. Cap is grooved, floccose when young (up to 7 cm). Whitish-grey gills turning black with age. Black spores. White stems have an even thickness with the remains of the veil at the base. White flesh is inedible . Found in gardens, waysides and woods. Widespread and common. Contains coprin that is poisonous if taken with alcohol for up to 2 days after eating. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Laccaria amethystea (??? cm) Amethyst deceiver Hydnangiaceae Violet to purple coloured convex cap (up to 5 cm). The thick, uncrowded gills are violet. White spores. Slender violet stem. Violet flesh - edible . Widespread and common in both deciduous and coniferous woodland. Image taken at ????? .

Armillaria mellea Honey fungus Marasmiaceae Honey coloured convex cap flattening with age (up to 5-10 cm). The crowded gills are light brown. White spores. Yellowish stem has a narrow ring near the cap. Brown flesh - edible . Found in clusters on fallen deciduous and coniferous trees. If undercooked can cause gastric complaints. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Kuehneromyces mutabilis (??? cm) Two-toned wood-tuft, Two-toned pholiota Strophariaceae Initially convex with an inrolled margin, flattening with age (up to 5 cm). Coloured honey brown when moist and slippery, becomes paler when dried from the centre. giving rise to the two-toned appearance. The crowded gills are pale brown. Rust-brown spores. Long, bent and hollow stem. Brownish flesh - edible . Found from May to October in clusters on deciduous tree stumps. Widespread and common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Macrolepiota rhacodes (up to ??? cm) Shaggy mushroom Agaricaceae Cap is initially spherical and light grey, splitting into a flat scaled dark brown cap that is either conves or flat (up to 15 cm). White gills that turn brown when bruised.White spores. Light greyish-brown hollow stem with a movable ring.. White flesh turns brown when bruised - edible . Found infrequently amongst leaf litter in coniferous forests. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Lycoperdon perlatum Common puffball Lycoperdaceae Spherical top part with extended stem - white when young with coarse warts, discolouring with age to greyish brown (up to 5 cm high and 3 cm in diameter). Ripe fruiting bodies open at the apex releasing olive-brown spores. The interior of the young puffball is white (gleba) and is edible . Found in both deciduous and coniferous woodland. Widespread and common. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Geastrum triplex (5-10 cm) Collard earthstar Geastraceae Outer wall splits into 4-8 pointed rays that bend back under the fruit body so that it sits on a saucer-like base. Underside is smooth and clean. Globose, warty, dark brown spores. Grows in groups amongst leaf litter especially in Beech woods on chalk soil from summer to autumn. Largest and commonest earthstar (up to 6 cm). The gleba is yellowish-brown. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Calocera viscosa (??? cm) Yellow stagshorn fungus, Jelly antler fungus Dacrymycetaceae Yellow, simply branched or antler-like branches (up to 3 cm wide and 6 cm high). Roots very deep into the wood. Yellowish-white flesh is elastic and inedible . Found on dead coniferous wood. Widespread and common. Image taken at New Forest Owl and Otter centre, New Forest, Hampshire .

Dacrymyces stillatus (??? cm) Orange jelly, Common jellyspot Dacrymycetaceae Golden yellowish-orange fruiting bodies (2-3 mm) coalescing into larger gelatinous bodies. Flesh is inedible . Found on the surface of stumps or felled deciduous and coniferous trees. Widespread and common. Image taken at ????? .

Auricularia auricula-judae Jew's ear Auriculariaceae Initially a bowl-shaped fruiting body with irregular lobes connected via a short stem to be wood. Inner surface is dark greyish-brown to black with many folds whilst the outer surface is grey, rough and grainy (up to 4-10 cm). The flesh is jelly-like when moist but shrinks when dry. Found throughout the year, often on dead Elder. Used in chinese cooking, but flesh is tasteless. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Hypholoma fsciculare (??? cm) Sulphur tuft Strophariaceae The orange-brown cap has a sulphur yellow margin. It is initially convex expanding later (up to 5 cm). The densely packed gills are yellow becoming greyish-green when old. Dark brown spores. Yellow stems. Yellow flesh - inedible . Found from May on the stumps of deciduous trees. Widespread and common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Craterellus cornucopioides Horn of plenty, Black trumpet Craterellaceae Trumpet shaped fungus, dark-greyish-brown to black (up to 4 cm in diameter). Stem is blackish-grey and hollow. Black flesh is edible . Found in dense clusters in Beech woodland. Widespread and common. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Fistulina hepatica (10-25 cm wide) Beefsteak fungus Fistinulaceae Often tongue-shaped with a pinkish-red, moist, sticky upper surface that turns purplish-brown. The underside consists of white tubes. Flesh is dark pink and edible . The circular white pores bruise to reddish-brown. The spores are ochre coloured. Found on the base of Oak trees from late summer to autumn. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Laetiporus sulphureus (10-40 cm wide) Chicken of the woods, Sulphur polypore Coriolaceae Yellowish fan-shaped, irregularly semicircular brackets in large tiered groups. Flesh is edible when young and white. White spores in yellow circular pores. Found on deciduous trees, particularly Oaks from late spring to autumn. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Trametes versicolor (4-10 cm wide) Turkeytail Coriolaceae Forms large overlapping leathery tiers. Variable colour - concentric zones of blackish-green, greyish-blue, greyish-brown and ochre-rust. White flesh is tough and inedible . Circular yellowish pores contain ovoid yellowish spores. Found on decisuous trees throughout the year. Widespread and common. The margin is white. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Polyporus leptocephalus (1-10 cm wide) Blackfoot polypore Polyporaceae Funnel-shaped cap with the depression above the point of attachment. Margin is lobed and wavy. Upper surface is brownish ochre becoming tobacco brown with age. White flesh is tough, leathery and inedible . Circular white pores contain elliptical white spores. Found on dead or dying deciduous wood from late spring to autumn. Common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Ganoderma australe (7-60 cm wide) Southern bracket Ganodermataceae Thick, hard upper surface has a dark brown crust. The inedible flesh is dark brown containing reddish-brown tubes. The circular pores are yellowish-white containing the brown oval spores. Found on deciduous trees throughout the year. Common and widespread. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Heterobasidion annosum (5-30 cm wide) Root rot Coriolaceae Irregularly shaped brackets with a 1-2 cm crust. The upper surface is light brown, darkening with age, whilst the margin is white, uneven and lumpy. The whitish flesh is inedible . The circular pores are white and brown with age. White ovoid spores. Found on the roots of coniferous and deciduous trees throughout the year. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

The basidiomycetes form spores on cells situated on gills or tubes termed basidia. At maturity, the spores drop off to be distributed by the wind.

Ganoderma lucidum (10-25 cm wide) Lacquered bracket Ganodermataceae Fan or kidney-shaped. Zoned concentrically brownish-orange turning purplish-brown later. Distinctively glossy. Flesh is inedible . White circular pores turning tobacco brown with age. Elliptical rust coloured spores. Found on the roots of deciduous trees throughout the year. Local. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Helvella crispa (6-13 cm) White helvella, White saddle Helvellaceae Pale buff, saddle-shaped cap, deeply lobed and convoluted at the centre. Stem is white, hollow with deep furrows. Elliptical spores. Flesh is edible . Found along the sides of paths in damp deciduous woodland. from late summer to autumn. Common and widespread. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Helvella lacunosa (??? cm) Black helvella, Elfin saddle Helvellaceae Black saddle-shaped cap, deeply lobed and convoluted at the centre. Pale greyish-black furrowed hollow stem. Found in mixed woodland, especially on burnt ground from summer to autumn. Frequent. Flesh is edible , but fairly poor tasting. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Xylaria carpophila (??? cm) Beechmast candlesnuff fungus Xylriaceae Similar to X. hypoxylon, but longer and more slender. Flesh is inedible . Found on old rotting beechwood throughout the year. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Scleroderma citrinum (2-10 cm) Common earthball Sclerodermataceae Dirty yellow globular, spherical body is attached to the substrata by a mycelial cord. Coarse scales are present on the surface and the structure breaks open irregularly. Purplish-black gleba is initially patterned by white vains but becomes powdery when aged. Brown globose spores possess a patterned network. Found on heaths or woodland from late summer to early winter. Common and widespread. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Calocera cornea (4-10 mm) Small stagshorn fungus Dacrymycetaceae Slender yellow fruiting bodies that are rarely forked. When dried they become orange. White elliptical spores. Found on twigs and branches of deciduous trees throughout the year. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Clavulinopsis helvola (3-7 cm) Yellow club Clavariaceae Yellow to yellowish-orange fruiting body. White subglobosa spores. Found solitary or in small groups on the ground in woodland or open areas amongst grass. Present from late summer to late autumn. Common and widespread. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Clavulina cristata var coralloides (2.5-8 cm) White coral Clavulinaceae Whitish-grey densely branched tuft that become fringed at the tips. Flesh is edible . White subglobose spores. Found solitary or gregarious on the ground in woodland from summer to late autumn. Widespread and common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Bulgaria inquinans (1-4 cm) Black bulgar Bulgariaceae When young - brownish, rubbery and globose with a tightly inrolled margin. The margin later expands producing a smooth, flattened black disc. Flesh is inedible . Kidney-shaped, brownish-black spores. Found on dead wood of Oak or less frequently Beech in the autumn. Common and widespread. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Fomes fomentarius (5-45 cm wide) Tinder bracket, Hoof fungus Coriolaceae Very thick (2-25 cm) hoof-shaped fungus, generally found singly. Upper surface has a hard, woody, grey, horny crust with concentric grooves.Cinnamon brown inedible flesh. Circular, greyish brown pores. Oblong, elliptical yellow spores. Found on Beech and Sycamore throughout the year. Widespread and common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Neobulgaria pura (0.5-2 cm) Beech jellydisc Heliotiaceae Subglobose, gelatinous initially with an inrolled margin, becoming flattened or concave on top with age. Flesh-coloured often with a violet tinge. Elliptical spores contain small oil drops. Found on fallen logs and branches, especially Beech. Present from late summer to early winter. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Otidea onotica (3-10 cm) - Hare's ear Pyronemataceae Flesh coloured irregularly ear-shaped fruiting body, attached to the substrate by a short white stalk. White flesh is very thin and inedible . Elliptical spores contain two oil drops. Found in deciduous or mixed woodland during autumn. Occasional. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Phallus impudicus (10-25 cm) Stinkhorn Phallaceae Fruiting body is initially a small pinkish-white egg-like structure (3-6 cm), through which the receptacle bursts, extending to produce a bell-shaped head covered in olive slime in which the spores reside. The slime smells of rotting meat, attracting flies for dispersal. Pale yellow spores. The egg stage is edible , though lacks taste. Found in woodland and gardens, particulalry associated with buried rotting wood. Present from summer to late autumn. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Lactarius aurantiacus (30-70 mm) Orange milkcap Russulaceae Brownish-orange cap (3-6 cm) is convex when young, flattening with a central depression with age. The cap surface looks greasy, but is not sticky. The stem is also brownish-orange. The white flesh is inedible . Produces lots of white milk when bruised. Cream spore print. Found indeciduous and coniferous woodland in the autumn. Relatively common. Image taken at Nomansland, New Forest, Hampshire .

Oudemansiella mucida (30-100 mm) Porcelain fungus Marasmiaceae Cap (2-8 cm) is pale greyish-white and convex when young, flattening and becoming white, slimy and semi-translucent. Stem is white. The white flesh is edible . Widely spaced gills are white.White spore print. Found on the trunks of Beech, often high and in large clusters from late summer to autumn. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Lactarius deterrimus (??? cm) False saffron milkcap Russulaceae Similar to L. deliciosus. Cap is reddish-yellow (3-10 cm) with a tendency to turn a greenish hue. Flesh is edible - coloured purple by milk turning deep red. Elliptical spores produce a pale ochre print. Bitter milk. Found near Spruce from summer to autumn. Common. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Coprinus micaceus (4-10 cm) Glistening inkcap Coprinaceae Greyish-cinnamon ovate cap expands into a bell-shape with age (1-4 cm). Thin white stem. Flesh is edible . Gills are brown, becoming black during liquefaction. Brown spore print. Found on the stumps of deciduous trees from late spring to early winter. Common and widespread. Image taken at Stourhead, Dorset .

Coprinus disseminatus (1.5-4 cm) Trooping crumble cap, Fairy inkcap Coprinaceae Initially high and ovate, the cap expands to a pale buff bell-shape (0.5-1.5 cm) with deep grooves. Thin white stem is covered in down. Flesh is edible . Gills are initially white, turning umber then black but do not liquefy. Elliptical spores produce a brown print. Found in large groups on the stumps of deciduous trees from late spring to late autumn. Widespread and common. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset .