Some basic fungi questions...

[matt_xyz]

I've recently started taking an interest in fungi, not least because I'm realising how photogenic some types of fungi are. However, I now realise how little I know about it. Could anyone answer some of the following, very naive, questions please?

(1). When is the best time to spot fungi? Do they tend to emerge overnight? Or in certain weather conditions e.g. rain?

(2). How long do most forms of fungi take to grow? Do they tend to emerge in hours, days, weeks? To put it another way, if I go looking for fungi one day, does it make any sense to go again a week or two later, or am I simply going to see the same fungi?

(3). How long does the fungi 'season' last for? Is it at a peak around Oct/Nov? At what point do numbers start to drop off?

(4). Can anyone recommend a good book for British fungi? I've seen one or two on Amazon, but don't know whether Wabbers have their own favourites.

I did warn you how little I know about fungi

Many thanks for any info.

Matt

[lauriek]

I don't pretend to be an expert on fungi but I'll have a go at your questions!

1) I'm not a morning person so I tend to do my hunting in the late afternoon, but I imagine the morning would probably be better.

2) I think this varies a lot. Some of the smaller mushrooms can literally appear overnight when there was no sign the day before - some larger ones take a few days to become fully grown and open.. Personally I look as often as possible - yes I find a lot of the same things again and again, but importantly - at different stages of development, and this can be key to decent IDs! - also you will miss a lot if you only go once a week - some fungi will have appeared and dissapeared in that time (or at least have appeared and then turned into a pile of mouldy mush!)

3) In my experience October is the peak but depending on summer conditions the fungi can appear as early as late August - September can be a good month, it was last year, but this year I hardly found any until October. I guess this timing could vary depending on where in the country you are (I'm in the South East...)

4) I reckon Roger Phillips book is probably the best, I use it in conjunction with Collins "Mushrooms of Britain and Europe" by Regis Courtecuisse (the former has isolated specimens photographed in a studio, in various stages of development, under the cap, sliced in half etc, whereas the latter has photographs of the fungi in situ. I find the combination good but either book would be a good start..

Hope this helps for starters! I'm sure some of the more experienced members will be along soon with more advice!!

[matt_xyz]

thanks very much Laurie, that's very helpful.

Matt

[FungiJohn]

Have a look at my Fungi Photography Guide Matt ... Most of your questions are answered there

Regarding Books, I would search out a copy of Roger Phillips 'original' Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain ... Don't get the new one, it's no where near as good

For a field guide I would suggest Fungi of Britain and Europe - By Stefan Buczacki - Illustrated by John Wilkinson.

John

[matt_xyz]

thanks John, and yes your guide does answer all my questions. Why didn't I know about this guide?

It's very helpful I shall have a careful read.

If anyone is wondering what guide we're talking about, it is a 'sticky' at the top of the Fungi forum.

Matt

[Leif]

I think lauriek has already given an excellent answer.

I must disagree with FungiJohn's about Phillips. I have both copies and the first has some strong colour casts in many of the plates, especially Cortinarius species. Also the latest has a few more species, some corrections, and the latest nomenclature. That last point is not insignificant, as names seem to change daily.

I really do not like the Collins guide by Stefan Buczacki. The illustrations are awful, and completely useless. And the text is not that useful.

Sorry FungiJohn!

There is a little guide by Geoffrey Kibby with water colour illustrations by the author which I rate very highly. It shows the features well, and the descriptions are more accurate than usual. I picked mine up in a bargain book shop.

[jennyb]

Matt, although I still know very little about fungi, WAB sparked my interest a year or so ago. It is amazing how diverse these fungi are and some of the shapes and textures are magnificent. So far I have found and identified 60 different fungi in my garden - that is not including the russulas which I don't really stand a chance of identifying correctly!

At this time of year I try to go out daily to see what has appeared. Last week I spotted a couple of stinkhorns and a stinkhorn egg. I was intrigued to know how quickly it developed out of the egg, so I took a look every day. Yesterday, it was an egg and today it was about 5 inches tall! The different stages they go through are also fascinating. I try to photograph all the stages.

I have also found that some fungi always appear in the same place each year which makes it easier to find them. However, some of them specifically don't appear in the same place each year

I look forward to seeing some of your photographs in the Gallery.

Jenny

[matt_xyz]

thanks Jenny. Sixty different fungi in your garden is remarkable. I think you're going to have to start organising WAB tours of your garden

For some reason I've always overlooked fungi in favour of things that move . But the more fungi I see and the more I read about them, the more fascinating they become.

Matt

[jennyb]

Matt, the problem starts when you try to identify them - not easy

Jenny