NWT Wildlife Spotter Survey

The fungi we have chosen for this autumn spotter survey are all common in Norfolk. They are quite distinctive and relatively easy to identify. Beginners to fungus identification should start by familiarising themselves with just a few easily recognised fungi and then step by step discover new species.

The answer is definitely yes, if only for the reason that if they are not recorded how do you know they are common? Common species may have interesting distributions or habitat preferences, and in any case they may suddenly become less common. Furthermore, by becoming familiar with common species the less usual become more obvious – and an interest can develop.

Fly agaric is probably our most recognisable species of fungus, with the mushroom's distinctive red cap and white stalk featuring in countless stories, television shows and even video games! Fly agaric is found in woodlands, parks and heaths with scattered trees, typically growing beneath birch trees or pines and spruces. The colourful fruiting bodies can usually be seen between late summer and early winter.

The distinctive mushrooms have a red cap, either flat or rounded, often with a scattering of white spots or warts. The white stem has a ring (or a collar) growing around it and the gills, beneath the cap, are free of the stem. Like most fungi, the parts we see are just the fruiting bodies, or mushrooms. These grow up from an unseen network of tiny filaments called hyphae, which together form a structure known as the mycelium. The fruiting bodies produce spores for reproduction, although fungi can also reproduce asexually by fragmentation. The mycelium of fly agaric often forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees around it, wrapping around the roots and supplying them with nutrients taken from the soil. In exchange, the fungus receives sugars produced by the trees. Fly agarics are poisonous and should not be eaten. Reports of deaths are rare, but ingestion often causes stomach cramps and hallucinations.

Did you know?

• Despite it being toxic to us, there are some animals that do eat fly agaric. These include red squirrels and slugs, as well as specialists such as fungus gnats - these flies lay eggs on the fungus, and when they hatch the larvae feed on the fruiting body.
• The 'spots' are remnants of the white veil of tissue that at first enclose the newly emerged mushroom. Sometimes the spots are not present as they can be washed off by the rain.
• The fly agaric featured in the story of Alice in Wonderland.

The giant puffball is a large, often roughly spherical white fungus, around the size of a football. As the thick, leathery skin ages it becomes browner. It grows on grass verges, field and woodland edges, and amongst rank vegetation. Giant puffballs are saprotrophic, which means they feed on dead organic matter - an important recycling service for decaying plants and other detritus. They usually grow in small clusters, but sometimes form 'fairy rings'.

Did you know?

• A single giant puffball can produce trillions of spores. They escape through tears in the leathery skin, dispersing on the wind.
• There's a report from 1877 of a giant puffball that measured 1.63m long, 1.37m wide and 0.24m tall!
• The spores of the giant puffball were used by blacksmiths for burns and as a coagulant for staunching wounds.

So named because it has a fleshy, velvety feel and similar shape to the human ear! It can be found growing on elder and beech all year round. When it first begins growing it is cup-shaped, but then begins to develop lobes that makes it look like a human ear. It is tan brown in colour, velvety on the outside, with a wrinkled, shiny inner surface. Individual lobes can grow to between 3 and 10cm across.

Did you know?

• Historic uses were as a remedy for sore throats, sore eyes and jaundice.
• Jelly ear fungus can freeze solidly and then thaw out and continue to grow.
• Jelly ear fungus is also known as wood ear.

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