Our islands are home to a staggering 15,000 species of fungi, many of which have an almost magical air. Expert forager Dave Hamilton reveals 12 of his favourites...
ID GUIDE
1 DEVIL’S FINGERS
Clathrus archeri
With the scent of rotten flesh and five to six red starfish-like tentacles, devil’s fingers (or octopus stinkhorn) looks like a visitor from another planet. This antipodean native is relatively rare in the UK but on the rise, thriving in woods and grasslands.
2 STINKHORN
Phallus impudicus
Beginning life in a gelatinous egg, the inside of which is edible, the stinking horn emerges to form a phallic-looking and rather stinky mushroom. The bad smell, not unlike rotten flesh, attracts flies that help spread the spores of this fascinating fungi.
3 KING ALFRED’S CAKES
Daldinia concentrica
These hard black mushrooms, found on dead hardwood trees, are named after 9th-century King Alfred, who burnt the cakes of a peasant woman while hiding from Vikings. They light easily and have been used as firelighters since prehistoric times.
4 PORCELAIN FUNGUS
Mucidula (formerly: Oudemansiella) mucida Growing on dead or dying beech wood, this white, late summer and autumn fungus looks like porcelain (albeit slimy porcelain). Edible and even considered a delicacy, the slimy coating needs to be washed off and it needs to be cooked well.
5 PARASOL Macrolepiota procera Growing in grassland, with caps as big as dinner plates, this parasol mushroom is one of the UK’s largest. Shaggy in appearance with a snakeskin pattern on the stem, it can be easy to ID (in the UK). The cap is edible and tasty and makes a great soup.
6 AMETHYST DECEIVER
Laccaria amethystina Beautiful, purple and edible, this small mushroom finds its home in mixed and broadleaf woodland.
It can grow in really large numbers, making it a worthwhile addition to the foraging basket. Take care: it can resemble the poisonous lilac fibrecap.
7 MEADOW WAXCAP
Cuphophyllus pratensis Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is a waxy mushroom, which grows in meadows and grasslands. It has widely spaced, decurrent (running down the stem) gills and an orange, fading-to-white cap. Many relatives grow in the UK, but this is the best to eat.
8 SAFFRON MILKCAP
Lactarius delicious
This delicious mushroom bleeds a bright carrot-orange liquid when cut. It is more common in northern England and Scotl
