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Reverse the red
Join Senior Ecologist Sarah Shuttleworth for a deadwood date, as she takes a deep dive into the wood wide web.
Elfcups are red
Roundheads are blue
Fungi and plants,
Share a connection? it’s true…
Although you might associate autumn with fungi, the organisms are still there under the surface – it’s just the fruiting bodies like mushrooms and toadstools we tend to see in later months.
It’s under the surface where a large proportion of fungi are directly connected to other plants roots via the fungi’s mycelial network, root-like structure made of branching, thread like hyphae.
Virtually all plants on earth form these relationships, with only about 5-10% of plants not relying on these fungal friendships.
Mycorrhizal is the name we give the type of fungi that can tap into the root cells of plants. The fungus gets its energy requirements and carbon from the plant, and the plant gets nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc from the fungi, as well as improved access to water.
This network of fungi mycelium and plant/tree roots is often affectionately referred to as the ‘Wood Wide Web’.
The infamous, bright red toadstool Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria has mycorrhizal relationships with birch trees, pines and spruces, so they are mostly found near some of these species.
Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes can still be spotted growing on stumps and trunks of dead hardwood trees, particularly Ash, Beech and Oak. They have caramel to orange-coloured caps and grow in overlapping tiers.
Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula is another one you can spot, looking almost exactly like ears made of jelly on dead or dying wood, particularly Elder trees.
Fungi are vital to life on earth as well as providing an entire kingdom of wonder and magic. We still don’t know 90% of the fungal species estimated to be present on the planet. From the species we do know about we benefit from them in so many ways – from nutrient recycling, edibility, making food products, medicines, manufacturing, biomaterials as well as natural wonder.
We are already starting to lose known species. In fact, the latest data from the IUCN shows that out of 1,318 species (including 134 lichenised fungi) have been assessed by the IUCN, 411 of these are now recognised as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. A further 110 listed as near threatened. Globally we are risking losing species we don’t even know about yet, with all their potential uses and beauty lost forever.
Read our top 10 wild, wacky and wonderful facts about the world of fungi here.
Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca is one of the most striking species being bright red and is one you can find out and about between December and April.
They’re just as interesting as they are beautiful – did you know that the name “elfcup” comes from folklore, where woodland elves were said to drink or bathe in water collecting in the cups of the fungus.
Learn more about amazing species like Scarlet Elfcup as well as the incredible fungi kingdom here.
It’s not just trees that capture and store carbon – our meadows and grasslands can play an important role too.
Getting out and looking for fungi can be a great way to connect with nature and discover more about this amazing kingdom. Here our Specialist Botanical Advisor, Sarah Shuttleworth, gives her top tips for finding fungi!
Recent studies have revealed that there's so much fungi out there that we don't know about. But how do we know this? Rachel Inhester, from our science team, tells us why.
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