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NBIS Fungi Survey
Can you help us find these fungi?
Fungi are fascinating organisms, vital for recycling nutrients from leaves, trees and animals. Much of this activity takes place out of sight, but in autumn, the fruiting bodies or toadstools emerge for all to see, enabling us to discover more about their distribution.
NBIS is asking for your help with recording three species of fungi in Norfolk (see below for species). We don’t have many recent records of these species. The information you provide will help us to understand changes in their distribution, and will contribute to our overall knowledge of Norfolk’s natural heritage.
HAVE YOU SPOTTED ANY OF THE THREE SPECIES OF FUNGI BELOW?
The easiest way to send us information about the species you have seen is via our online form. Please select one of the three options below to send us your record:
(e.g. more than 20 records; including records of more than one species, at more than one location and on several different dates)
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Description:
A distinctive and widespread fungus up to 15cm across with a red cap with white spots. The Fly Agaric is poisonous and can be fatal if eaten. Like many of the large toadstools its mycelium associates with tree roots, supplying the tree with fertilizing minerals and receiving sugars in exchange.
Where to look:
Heaths and woodland; usually near birch. September to November.
Only record Fly Agaric if it has all of these features:
Bright red cap; White spots (membrane fragments); ring on the stem.
Photo: Fly Agaric (Tony leech)
Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
Description:
A tough bracket fungus, common in the north, the Hoof Fungus is scarce in central Britain. However, it has been found at several sites in Norfolk recently. Annual layers build up to produce a large, grey, hoof-shaped structure up to 20cm across and about 15cm deep. This fungus attacks and kills birch trees.
Where to look:
Heaths. Present all year round.
Only record Hoof Fungus if it has all of these features:
Growing on birch; hard like wood; grey on top (may have a powdery coating).
Photo: Hoof Fungus (Tony Leech)
Red-lead Roundhead (Stropharia aurantiaca)
Description:
A distinctive toadstool with a deep orange (vermillion) cap 1.5 – 6cm across (sticky in wet weather). Often growing in clusters. An alien species which may have been introduced. Also referred to in some guide books as Leratiomyces ceres.
Where to look:
Mostly on woodchips. September to November
Only record Red-lead Roundhead if it has all of these features:
Deep orange cap; Grey-brown gills; Slender white stem.
Photo: Red-lead roundhead (Keith Fox)
Fungus notes
- Best time of year to see fungi is in autumn, after rain
- Fungi are often associated with woodlands, although unimproved grasslands can be good habitats to investigate
- All of the species featured in the NBIS survey are inedible.
NEVER eat fungi unless you are 100% certain you have identified an edible species.
