photographs by Russell Malcolm
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Scotland is home to a wide range of fungi. Various soils and terrains favour different fungal species. Coniferous, mixed and deciduous woodland also provide optimal conditions for different genera. Some fungi show affinities for specific tree species. The presence or absence of animal manures, in both upland and lowland pasture also has a bearing on which fungi predominate there.
The picture gallery below shows a small selection of the commonest fungal species we have encountered here in recent years. Although we have taken pains to identify these specimens as accurately as we can, this gallery should not be used as a sole guide to identification, since many of pictures shown here do not reveal the gill structure; the presence of a volva, ring, or other structures important to their classifications. |
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Agaricus muscaria Fly Agaric
The gills are white and free. The stem is white with a ring. Poisonous. It tends to grow with birch.n . |
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Amanita fulva Tawny grizette
One of the harmless Amanitas. Edible. Grows in woodland
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Amanita phalloides Death Cap
The gills are white, free, the stem tallish white.
The stem base is characterised by a marked volva.
Deadly poisonous
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Cantharellus cibarius Chantarelle
Bright light-yellow fungus which tends to become funnel shaped after starting rounded (shown). Short stem with branching corrugations in the sporulating surface. Edible. Can be found in all types of woodland
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Coprinus comatus Shaggy Cap
The cap starts white and becomes brown.
At an intermediate stage
fine scales turn outwards (shown).
The gills become black
and disintegrate distally so that spores can be distributed by rain. The fungus grows on buried wood debris.
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