This is one of my favourite times of year to wander around our wooded heath and I’m sure you will all share my admiration for the glorious colours as the leaves turn golden and begin to fall from the trees. But this year I’m going to suggest that you look for a whole rainbow of colours as you explore the woodland…we’re going to be discovering fungi!
I've just been out to set up our fungi trail ready for the start of this years 'Festival of Fungi' at Pulborough Brooks. To be honest, the ground is still pretty dry and hard so it's not exactly epic yet in terms of the number or variety of mushrooms, but our trail will be running throughout October and I'll be out and about regularly to hunt for fungi and to update the trail so there's no rush! If we get some rain then I'm sure that wonderful mushrooms and toadstools will be popping up out of the leaf litter, so we've got lots to look forward to...
With thousands of species of fungi in the UK there is a huge variety of weird and wonderful shapes and whilst there are of course plenty of ‘little brown jobs’ (as there are whatever branch of wildlife you specialise in) you really can find a fungus for every colour of the rainbow.
We’ll begin with red and the classic fairy tale fungus – fly agaric – whose glossy crimson cap bears white wart-like spots and is perhaps the most recognised toadstool in Britain. Despite the illustrations for fairy stories I have never yet found one of these with a toad, gnome or fairy perched on top of the cap! It is closely related to the death cap and the destroying angel, both of which can be fatal if eaten, however this fungus is more likely to cause sickness and hallucinations.
Next comes the bright yellow bracket fungus ‘chicken of the woods’ which develops as overlapping shelf like ‘brackets’ mainly on oak trees. Apparently, one was found in the New Forest weighing in in excess of 45 kg. Given that this is an edible fungus (said to resemble that taste and texture of chicken) that would have made for quite a feast. You should always take great care if foraging for fungi – this one can cause nasty stomach upsets in some people.
Pretty in pink we have ‘The Flirt’, more formally known as the bare-toothed brittlegill. The pale pink cap does not quite cover the flesh and gills. Some people say she is showing her petticoats – hence ‘the flirt’.
Next up is green elf cup – such a perfect name! Tiny green cups adorn chunks of green-stained deadwood. Woodworkers have prized the stained wood for centuries. 14th and 15th century Renaissance Italian craftsmen used the wood to provide the green colours in their intricate inlaid designs. More locally, in the 18th century, woodworkers Tunbridge Wells started using the green-stained wood to form highly detailed pictures of animals, flowers, local landscapes, and geometric designs, which were often inset into the lids of small wooden boxes. These antiques are called "Tunbridge ware" and are very valuable today.
Green elf cup by Dawn & Jim Langiewicz
Representing purple is the glorious Amethyst deceiver. This beautiful purple mushroom can be found amongst the leaf litter. It’s edible and apparently very tasty – I have a recipe for omelette featuring amethyst deceivers – but I’ve not been brave enough to try it yet. You’ll often find with the edible mushrooms that there is something very similar looking that is rather poisonous, or that the slugs get there before you!
Amethyst Deceiver by Dawn & Jim Langiewicz
There are several options for orange; orange peel fungus, the delicate Galerina or moss cap fungi. But I’m going to introduce you to the Hairy curtain crust. This fungus forms tough, leathery brackets. The margins are wavy and lobed and the surface hairy. Look on any stumps, logs or fallen branches. This is one of the most commonly recorded fungi in Britain.
Orange peel fungus by Dawn & Jim Langiewicz
Blue is a little tricky but look closely amongst the moss growing on old tree trunks and you could spot the tiny blue-grey bonnet fungi Mycena pseudocorticola. A perfectly formed, delicate grooved cap on a fine stem. This one is rather rare, although on some years we find troops of them covering the moss-covered branches of oaks and willows on the wooded heathland. Sadly, no one has yet seen fit to give it a common name.
Start getting to know your fungi and as well as a multitude of colours you’ll discover some fantastic names; plums & custard, scurfy twiglets, warty cavaliers, ballerina waxcaps and fairy bonnets.
But fungi isn’t just beautiful it’s pretty important stuff too. When did you last have marmite on toast for breakfast or a pint of beer in the pub, or even the double whammy of a mushroom-topped pizza? Without fungus we would not be able to enjoy these treats. But it’s not all good – fungus is also responsible for athlete’s foot!
In a woodland context, fungi is also both good news and bad news. I think of these relationships in terms of swapping or stealing. Some species are symbiotic with their nearby trees with the roots of the fungi being able to gather nutrients from the surrounding soil & deadwood and exchanging some for energy from the trees. A fair swap! Other fungi is parasitic on the host tree and eventually kills it – it steals from the tree offering nothing in return!
There is so much to discover when you start to look a little more closely so if you’re fascinated by fungi come along to our festival of fungi throughout October, follow our self-led fungi trail and find your own rainbow.