Earpick fungus Auriscalpium vulgare

You can’t without identifying the fungus and that is not always easy. Literally thousands of species of fungus occur in Britain; only a few are really good to eat and only a few are deadly poisonous.

The old wives’ tales that only edible fungi have a peelable ‘skin’, do not blacken a silver spoon (!) when cooking and smell like mushrooms, are all totally wrong!

Most fungus fatalities in Britain (about one each year) are caused by the death cap which has white gills, a ring (or ‘collar’) round the stem and, usually, a greenish cap.

Picture by Cheryl Dye

The safest way to learn about fungi is to attend a fungi foray led by an expert. Autumn is a good time of year to see fungi, so look out for guided walks and events in your area during the autumn months. Organisations which host fungi forays include Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Sculthorpe Moore and Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Gardens.

The East of England Tourist Board lists all wildlife events in East Anglia, so this is a good place to keep up to date with any fungi forays happening in your area. See www.visiteastofengland.com for more information.

Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society have a Norfolk Fungus Study Groups for further information visit http://norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/recording/specialist-groups/nfsg/

For lots more information about fungi, visit the British Mycological Society, at www.britmycolsoc.org.uk.

Picture by Jenny Johnson

It is impossible to be completely certain of how many species of fungi occur in a particular locality. Fungi are not a well-studied group, and are easy to miss, as the length of time between the emergence of a fruiting body and its decay can be very short. The British Mycological Society compiles a list of fungi species recorded throughout Britain, called the Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland. This database lists 2,289 species of fungi recorded in West Norfolk, and 3,262 species recorded in East Norfolk.

Picture by Ray Watson