mushrooms

[marktench]

Don't know if this is the right place to put this but is there such thing as a water mushroom cos i was just having a look around my pond and i saw some brown mushrooms growing round the side on one off my margin plants?

[marktench]

i have been told it may me a sort of fungi if so would it be harmful to my fish?

[FungiJohn]

Hi Mark and welcome to WAB.

Apart from the Bog Beacon - Mitrula paludosa most fungi prefer their feet out of water!

It looks like a mycorrhizal association with the plant or more likely what was growing there previously! What marginal plant is it and do you have a photograph of the fungi?

The common fungus infection in fish is Saprolegnia. Which are white or grey cotton wool-like tufts which can be found on the skin or fins. I doubt your species will harm your fish.

John

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by marktench

Don't know if this is the right place to put this but is there such thing as a water mushroom cos i was just having a look around my pond and i saw some brown mushrooms growing round the side on one off my margin plants?

These could be interesting.

Most groups of fungi have aquatic representatives, including various cup fungi that grow on submerged sticks in clear streams, and relatives of some of the bracket fungi, as well as a diversity of "moulds". They tend to be under-recorded!

There are several toadstool species that grow from the standing dead stems of water plants, typically fruiting from the stems just at or above water level. They include species of Mycena and Marasmius. All are rare, or at least rarely recorded, and some are known from single British or even world localities.

Most are highly host-specific, so if you can tell us what host they appear to be on, this may help. If they are growing as I have described, it would be worth collecting a smaple, still attached to their host, and drying them (if they are small, air drying will do). (PM me for further instructions.)

If in fact these toadstools are growing in mud on the pond edge, then we have a much wider range of possibilities, but still including some interesting and poorly recorded specialist species.

Having been fungus recorder for a wetland reserve for the last few years, I have quite an interest in these little brown semi-aquatics.

Alan Silverside

[FungiJohn]

I was wondering about your views on this one Alan. Indeed, it could be most interesting
John

[marktench]

i can't remeber the plant it's growing on but it grows very tall and some of them as like big cigar things on the end of them they are like reeds? i will look the name up.

[AlanS]

Originally Posted by marktench

i can't remeber the plant it's growing on but it grows very tall and some of them as like big cigar things on the end of them they are like reeds? i will look the name up.

Oooh! If what you have are tiny brown toadstools on Typha (Reed-mace), then there is a VERY interesting possibility ...
(I won't say what as the species I have in mind is not currently known to be British and I don't want to wave the name around on the basis of a description I may have completely misunderstood.)

Alan

[marktench]

yeah allmost sure it's called Typha latifolia Reed mace (Bullrush).Hope this helps

[fbcpmike]

Originally Posted by marktench

i can't remeber the plant it's growing on but it grows very tall and some of them as like big cigar things on the end of them they are like reeds? i will look the name up.

Great Reed Mace

[FungiJohn]

I'm intrigued to know how you have Reedmace in your garden pond even though you mention in another thread that your pond has only been up and running for 2 years but is not a wildlife one!

Have you a picture of the fungi / pond you can upload Mark.

John