Fungi of East Sussex - Hastings Handbook October 2007


The Amethyst Deceiver, The Prince, Devil’s Fingers, Witches’ Butter, Velvet Shank, Rhubarb & Custard, Sweet Poisonpie, Vinegar Cup, Pig’s Ear, Horn of Plenty, Stinkhorn, Death Cap, Destroying Angel… a few of the hundreds of wonderful, vivid, and sometimes scary common names of our British fungi. Last month we wrote about taking advantage of late summer fruits and berries to brew your own country wines; now the autumn brings another free and fascinating harvest: the fungi. There are thought to be over 8,000 species of larger fungi (visible to the naked eye) worldwide, at least 2,500 of which occur in the UK. And if you include the microscopic fungi like yeasts, the number of species leaps to an estimated 1.5 million! Although it doesn’t have a strict definition, the term ‘mushroom’ is used to mean an edible type of fungus with the typical cap-and-stem kind of shape, though edible fungi come in many other forms. THE SCIENCE BIT Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but are classified in a separate ‘Kingdom’ of their own. Unlike plants they don’t create their own food by photosynthesis using the sun’s energy (which is why they grow in dark places and come in many colours other than green) but get their energy by decomposing and absorbing organic matter, more like animals do. In fact the bit of the fungus you see above ground is only the ‘fruiting body’ it uses to reproduce and spread its spores; its real body is a cotton wool-like mass of millions of tangled filaments called ‘hyphae’ which grow underground and can spread for tens of metres. This body, known as the mycelium, persists all year round but it’s the damp, cool conditions of autumn when the fruiting bodies appear in greatest abundance. FUNGI ARE YOUR FRIENDS Fungi have always suffered from a public relations problem – viewed with suspicion because of their strange shapes and bright colours, their tendency to appear very suddenly in dark and damp places and, not least, the mind-altering properties and lethal toxicity of some species. This is a bit unfair: most are simply inedible because of their taste or texture rather than being poisonous. And although it’s long been known that by recycling nutrients fungi play a vital role in the planet’s eco-system, only recently has their true importance begun to be recognised. Any fungus hunter knows that certain species are found associated with particular types of trees, but it’s now known that they aren’t just neighbours but intimate partners. Fungi grow around or even inside the cells of plant roots and nourish them by providing minerals from the soil and decomposed organic matter, as well as regulating the balance of bacteria in the soil and protecting against unfriendly microorganisms. In exchange plants provide fungi with food created by photosynthesis. It’s estimated that up to 95% of land-plants depend partly or even entirely on this mutual exchange (known as a ‘mycorrhizal relationship’) without which it’s thought that they would not have been able to colonise the land 400 million years ago. So without fungi our planet would look very different from the green and pleasant one we know, and we would never have existed. It’s amazing to think that above ground we see trees and plants as individual things, but really they’re parts of a giant network of interconnected and interdependent living organisms linked by fungal hyphae. Bear in mind also that without fungi, we would have no alcohol, antibiotics or many other products of industrial processes that involve them! THE GOOD... So what about edible fungi? The mushrooms most commonly sold in supermarkets (button, closed-cap, open cup and chestnut) are all at different stages in growth, or varieties of a species with the Latin name Agaricus bisporus, also known as the table mushroom or button mushroom. As a marketing ploy, they are sometimes given more exotic names like ‘Portobello’ or ‘Crimini’. In recent years though, a few other species have appeared on our shelves. Some, like shitake and oyster mushrooms, can be artificially cultivated for sale, but the most delicious and sought-after species occur only in the wild: morels, chanterelles, porcinis, horn of plenty and of course, most prized of all, truffles. With the exception of truffles, all are relatively commonplace in the countryside around Hastings but can be difficult to find, unless you know a bit about them – especially the type of trees, soil, drainage and weather they favour. And of course the best locations are carefully guarded secrets. Anyway, unless you really know what you are doing it’s best to leave the harvesting to others who do because although only a small minority of species is poisonous, symptoms can be severe and sometimes deadly. ...THE BAD... The most instantly recognisable poisonous fungus is the red-and-white-capped ‘fly agaric’ as pictured on this month’s cover. Commonly found with birch trees (an example of mycorrhizal relationship) it’s famous for its hallucinogenic properties, a side effect of the poisons it contains. Eat a little prepared in the right way and, aside from some extremely unpleasant side-effects, you can have a weird and even spiritual ‘trip’. Too much can result in seizures, coma and occasionally death. Fly agaric is known to have been used in religious rituals by Celtic druids and by certain shamanic tribes of Siberia who used it to enter trance-like states. Since the hallucinogenic compounds are concentrated and expelled in the urine of the eater, it was common in Siberia for the other tribe members to drink the shaman’s urine to experience a communal, and slightly mellower, mystic experience. But the fly agaric is far from being the most poisonous fungus in the UK: fatal poisonings are rare but do happen, most frequently caused by the aptly-named ‘Death Cap’ (particularly dangerous because it can be confused with common edible types) and the ‘Destroying Angel’ (pure white, beautiful and deadly) for which no antidotes are known. ...AND THE UGLY One of the remarkable things about fungi is their strange appearance. The fruiting bodies come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Some are nondescript, many strangely beautiful, but a few… well even their own mothers wouldn’t call them good looking. One species in particular is famous for its putrid smell of rotting flesh (by which it attracts swarms of flies) earning it the common English name ‘stinkhorn’, and its resemblance to a part of the human male anatomy, earning it the Latin name ‘Phallus impudicus’. The appearance of this common species so outraged Victorian morals that Charles Dickens’ eldest daughter, Elly, used to go out walking in the woods early each morning, sniff them out and destroy them with a stick so that their disgusting shape would not corrupt impressionable young people out walking. FUNGI FOR FUN At this time of year the fungi are out in abundance; they’re easy to miss but look closely and once you ‘get your eye in’ you’ll begin to see them everywhere, in woodlands, grassy meadows and road verges, and probably in your own garden if you look hard enough. All the pictures shown here were taken locally. If you want to find out more and learn to identify them yourself there are many good books and guides available, and various organised ‘fungus forays’ where you can go along and learn from someone who knows what they’re talking about. With expert guidance you could start to try eating some of the more easily identifiable edible species that are common around here, such as chanterelles and ceps. But remember NEVER eat fungi you cannot identify with 100% certainty as safe. Whether you plan to collect and eat them or not, a little knowledge about fungi adds interest to autumn walks in the countryside.

The Amethyst Deceiver, The Prince, Devil’s Fingers, Witches’ Butter, Velvet Shank, Rhubarb & Custard, Sweet Poisonpie, Vinegar Cup, Pig’s Ear, Horn of Plenty, Stinkhorn, Death Cap, Destroying Angel… a few of the hundreds of wonderful, vivid, and sometimes scary common names of our British fungi.

Last month we wrote about taking advantage of late summer fruits and berries to brew your own country wines; now the autumn brings another free and fascinating harvest: the fungi. There are thought to be over 8,000 species of larger fungi (visible to the naked eye) worldwide, at least 2,500 of which occur in the UK. And if you include the microscopic fungi like yeasts, the number of species leaps to an estimated 1.5 million! Although it doesn’t have a strict definition, the term ‘mushroom’ is used to mean an edible type of fungus with the typical cap-and-stem kind of shape, though edible fungi come in many other forms.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but are classified in a separate ‘Kingdom’ of their own. Unlike plants they don’t create their own food by photosynthesis using the sun’s energy (which is why they grow in dark places and come in many colours other than green) but get their energy by decomposing and absorbing organic matter, more like animals do. In fact the bit of the fungus you see above ground is only the ‘fruiting body’ it uses to reproduce and spread its spores; its real body is a cotton wool-like mass of millions of tangled filaments called ‘hyphae’ which grow underground and can spread for tens of metres. This body, known as the mycelium, persists all year round but it’s the damp, cool conditions of autumn when the fruiting bodies appear in greatest abundance.

FUNGI ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Fungi have always suffered from a public relations problem – viewed with suspicion because of their strange shapes and bright colours, their tendency to appear very suddenly in dark and damp places and, not least, the mind-altering properties and lethal toxicity of some species. This is a bit unfair: most are simply inedible because of their taste or texture rather than being poisonous. And although it’s long been known that by recycling nutrients fungi play a vital role in the planet’s eco-system, only recently has their true importance begun to be recognised. Any fungus hunter knows that certain species are found associated with particular types of trees, but it’s now known that they aren’t just neighbours but intimate partners. Fungi grow around or even inside the cells of plant roots and nourish them by providing minerals from the soil and decomposed organic matter, as well as regulating the balance of bacteria in the soil and protecting against unfriendly microorganisms. In exchange plants provide fungi with food created by photosynthesis. It’s estimated that up to 95% of land-plants depend partly or even entirely on this mutual exchange (known as a ‘mycorrhizal relationship’) without which it’s thought that they would not have been able to colonise the land 400 million years ago. So without fungi our planet would look very different from the green and pleasant one we know, and we would never have existed. It’s amazing to think that above ground we see trees and plants as individual things, but really they’re parts of a giant network of interconnected and interdependent living organisms linked by fungal hyphae.

Bear in mind also that without fungi, we would have no alcohol, antibiotics or many other products of industrial processes that involve them!

THE GOOD...

So what about edible fungi? The mushrooms most commonly sold in supermarkets (button, closed-cap, open cup and chestnut) are all at different stages in growth, or varieties of a species with the Latin name Agaricus bisporus, also known as the table mushroom or button mushroom. As a marketing ploy, they are sometimes given more exotic names like ‘Portobello’ or ‘Crimini’. In recent years though, a few other species have appeared on our shelves. Some, like shitake and oyster mushrooms, can be artificially cultivated for sale, but the most delicious and sought-after species occur only in the wild: morels, chanterelles, porcinis, horn of plenty and of course, most prized of all, truffles. With the exception of truffles, all are relatively commonplace in the countryside around Hastings but can be difficult to find, unless you know a bit about them – especially the type of trees, soil, drainage and weather they favour. And of course the best locations are carefully guarded secrets. Anyway, unless you really know what you are doing it’s best to leave the harvesting to others who do because although only a small minority of species is poisonous, symptoms can be severe and sometimes deadly.

...THE BAD...

The most instantly recognisable poisonous fungus is the red-and-white-capped ‘fly agaric’ as pictured on this month’s cover. Commonly found with birch trees (an example of mycorrhizal relationship) it’s famous for its hallucinogenic properties, a side effect of the poisons it contains. Eat a little prepared in the right way and, aside from some extremely unpleasant side-effects, you can have a weird and even spiritual ‘trip’. Too much can result in seizures, coma and occasionally death. Fly agaric is known to have been used in religious rituals by Celtic druids and by certain shamanic tribes of Siberia who used it to enter trance-like states. Since the hallucinogenic compounds are concentrated and expelled in the urine of the eater, it was common in Siberia for the other tribe members to drink the shaman’s urine to experience a communal, and slightly mellower, mystic experience. But the fly agaric is far from being the most poisonous fungus in the UK: fatal poisonings are rare but do happen, most frequently caused by the aptly-named ‘Death Cap’ (particularly dangerous because it can be confused with common edible types) and the ‘Destroying Angel’ (pure white, beautiful and deadly) for which no antidotes are known.

...AND THE UGLY

One of the remarkable things about fungi is their strange appearance. The fruiting bodies come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Some are nondescript, many strangely beautiful, but a few… well even their own mothers wouldn’t call them good looking. One species in particular is famous for its putrid smell of rotting flesh (by which it attracts swarms of flies) earning it the common English name ‘stinkhorn’, and its resemblance to a part of the human male anatomy, earning it the Latin name ‘Phallus impudicus’. The appearance of this common species so outraged Victorian morals that Charles Dickens’ eldest daughter, Elly, used to go out walking in the woods early each morning, sniff them out and destroy them with a stick so that their disgusting shape would not corrupt impressionable young people out walking.

FUNGI FOR FUN

At this time of year the fungi are out in abundance; they’re easy to miss but look closely and once you ‘get your eye in’ you’ll begin to see them everywhere, in woodlands, grassy meadows and road verges, and probably in your own garden if you look hard enough. All the pictures shown here were taken locally. If you want to find out more and learn to identify them yourself there are many good books and guides available, and various organised ‘fungus forays’ where you can go along and learn from someone who knows what they’re talking about. With expert guidance you could start to try eating some of the more easily identifiable edible species that are common around here, such as chanterelles and ceps. But remember NEVER eat fungi you cannot identify with 100% certainty as safe. Whether you plan to collect and eat them or not, a little knowledge about fungi adds interest to autumn walks in the countryside.