Introduction to macro-fungi

Mouse over links for pictures; click for detail page.

Fungi form a huge group of organisms, and the ones commonly referred to as mushrooms or toadstools are just the larger ones, known as the macro-fungi. These form only a small proportion of the total, but even so number some 3,000 different species in Britain alone! They are in fact the fruiting bodies of the fungus, like the apples on a tree, and the permanent structure, known as the mycelium, is a thread-like structure hidden underground or within the material that the fungus lives on.~fly agaricclouded agaric

Fungi have a similar structure to plants but have no chlorophyll and for that reason cannot collect energy from the sun and instead have to draw their strength from plants, and occasionally even from animals. Woodland species, for example, feed off living or dead trees or fallen leaves. There is no way of telling the difference between a mushroom, usually meaning an edible fungus, and a toadstool, meaning a poisonous one, other than by learning to recognise the particular species you are looking at.~common yellow russulawood blewit

Most fungi families, including the amanita family, which includes the most deadly species, have some species that are edible and worth eating, some that will not harm you but aren't worth eating anyway, and some that will do you serious damage if you eat them.~death capthe blusher

The bolete family, which includes the most prized edible species of all, the cep, also includes one poisonous species, known as the devil's bolete.~orange birch bolete

Many amanitas and boletes grow on the woodland floor and are associated with particular species of tree. This is a symbiotic association, in other words both fungus and tree benefit from it, but another group of fungi, known as bracket fungi, are parasitic, feeding off and sometimes hastening the death of trees without giving them anything in return. The birch polypore is one of the commonest and the honey fungus the most damaging.

Some fungi grow in meadows rather than woods (in fact fungi can be found in almost any habitat you can think of), for example the parasol mushroom or the st georges mushroom. Most of the larger fungi appear in autumn, but a few, including the st georges mushroom, come up in the spring.

Most macro-fungi have the familiar stalk-and-cap structure, but some look very different. The puff-ball, for example, is round, and the stinkhorn is true to its scientific name – phallus impudicus. When it first comes up the top is covered with a strongly smelling green slime, which attracts flies.