Fungi Fact File

One of the larger bonnets in the UK, this mushroom is reportedly bioluminescent. Found mainly in leaf litter in broadleaf woodlands, they grow in groups between August and sometimes into December

Sulphur tuft are striking fungi that grow in clumps on rotting wood like fallen logs or even path edges. Starting off bright yellow with an orange centre, when the spores mature the fruit bodies turn greeny-grey.

Hard to see to the untrained eye, these browny yellow balls sit inconspicuously in the leaf litter in woodlands until you step on one and a puff of dark grey spores blow out!

A member of the Amanita family, this demure species is still pretty cool. Sporting warts on its blushed pink cap, and a thin, fragile ring at the top of the stem, it looks like a less brightly coloured version of its cousin the fly agaric.

These tough, woody fingers sprout from decaying logs. Its scientific name Xylaria hypoxylon means woody beneath wood. They apprear with white tips, which eventually turn ashy black when the spores are mature.

This strange fungus appears on fine branches in trees as bright yellow jelly like wrinkles and can also be known as witches butter in America. Its scientific name means trembling middle intestines!

This fungus is also known as the razorstrop fungus because of its smooth, leathery texture which was great for ‘stropping’ sharpened metal tools. It is also a well known medicinal fungus with its powers being harnessed for thousands of years for things like intestinal parasites.

This is a very tough, hoof shaped fungus that grows on birch trees. Also known as the tinder fungus can be processed to make a material called amadou. This chamis leather texture material is processed from the soft part of the fungus to start fires.

A rather demure, mindful mushroom with a degree of elegance and beauty. A tall stipe with a tawny bell shaped cap appears from a white sack like volva in the ground. Grisettes are part of the amanita family that also includes the fly agaric. 

These funky, bright yellow fungi are stump rotters and provide some lovely colour amongst the golds and browns of autumn. Watch out for little yellow ‘antler’ shapes with a firm, jelly like texture.