ID GUIDE: NINE EXTRAORDINARY FUNGI

Autumn is a season of great change in our woodlands, when trees lose their leaves and arboreal creatures prepare themselves for a winter of slumber. But amid this quiet and decay there is growing life: fungi. Remarkable in colour and form, and mostly pois

MAGPIE

This toxic fungus has a black cap with white scales and is found in beech woods. As it matures, the cap seems to melt (deliquesce), which helps with spore dispersal.

JELLY EAR

Also known as wood ear or black wood ear, this fungus typically grows on elder, normally on dead wood (sometimes alive). It can be found on other trees, such as sycamore.

GIANT PUFFBALL

An impressive fungus, one of the largest in the world, historically used to dress wounds. It is edible when immature and is found on grasslands.

YELLOW STAGSHORN

Bright yellow or orange, this jelly fungus is antler-like in shape and can grow up to 10cm tall on dead and rotting coniferous wood.

FLY AGARIC

One of the most iconic toadstools, this bright red-and-white toxic fungus (also known as fly amanita) is usually found in woods and heathlands that contain birch trees.

COLLARED EARTHSTAR

Related to puffballs but inedible, (sometimes poisonous). There are over 15 species of earthstar in the UK; the collared, found in woods and gardens, is the most common.

KING ALFRED’S CAKES

Named after the 9th-century King Alfred, this fungus looks like small lumps of coal on dead and decaying deciduous wood. Mature fungi can be used as tinder.

CHICKEN OF THE WOODS

Popular among foragers, this common species is found on tree trunks, particularly oaks. Although edible, it must be cooked or it can be indigestible.

COMMON STINKHORN

An infamous fungi, widespread in Britain. It releases a sticky gel, called gleba, that smells like rotting flesh and attracts insects, which then distribute its spores.