Kew Gardens- Lost&Found Fungi

[Darryl of Sussex]

https://www.kew.org/blogs/kew-science/the-lost-and-found-fungi-project

While on a random exploration of Houghton Forest in Sussex last year, I took photos and made notes of all of the fungi and where they were etc that I had seen, so that I could identify them when back at home. I couldn’t find a couple of them on any of the websites I had tried, so I asked on a well known mycological forum. My finds caused a ripple of excitement... and a few expletives. The two types of fungi I couldn’t identify had been ‘red listed’ (presumed extinct in some or all areas) and this lead to them being recorded by Brian, the founder of the Lost and Found Fungi Project being run by Kew Gardens.

Ramaria Stricta - aka Upright Coral
Mycena Renati.

The reason i’m sharing this is that, after the applause and offers of pints of ale for my extreme heroism have subsided.... I think i’m managing the fame quite well.... it may be that you have spotted something on your travels through the uncharted wildernesses that you couldn’t identify and that this might encourage a greater curiosity about whatever it is.

Also, can anyone tell me if there is a listing sticky for IDing websites and specialist forums on this site?

Best wishes,

Darryl

 

[Broch]

Whilst doing the FSC Macro Fungi course a couple of years ago I took in a few specimen from my wood to practice the 'formal' identification processes (it turns out that a large proportion of fungi can only be truly identified using 600x microscopes!).

I was a little surprised that one of the samples could not be identified even by the Prof. giving the course who had spent a lifetime as a mycologist! That was a dawning moment when I realised I was never going to be able to identify all the fungi even in my enclosed habitat let alone further afield. It still hasn't been identified by the way.

The Mycokey site is a useful if sometimes irritating identification tool http://www.mycokey.com/

 

[saxonaxe]

" My finds caused a ripple of excitement... and a few expletives. "

I read that, had a momentary flashback and burst out laughing...

A long time ago I was a passenger in a Ford Transit Personnel Carrier. We were returning, wet, cold and completely shattered with fatigue from a prolonged exercise at somewhere with an unpronounceable name in the wilds of Wales.
It was late afternoon and the narrow country road was already starting to get frosty, and we were..err travelling at speed.
" Jeez! Look at that " yelled the driver, and braked hard...too hard. The van wheels locked up and the vehicle began a graceful 180 degree turn. Half asleep and buried under flying kit and weapons I thought it was good night Vienna for me...

Only the rear wheels hitting the grass verge prevented the van falling into the roadside ditch as we stopped, facing the direction we had come from....The Driver..not from my unit..leapt out...ran up the opposite banked verge and after grovelling about in the grass returned holding a very large...Mushroom! He proudly told us it was a rare something in Latin and never ever seen in that area.

Only the intervention of a Senior member prevented his instant murder by his passengers...
It seems Fungi have a funny effect on some people and now I am always very wary of them...

 

[Robson Valley]

It's time and money and people, once again. Congratulations. An army of well-schooled amateurs
can make an enormous contribution to knowledge by their documentation.
Here, it's aquatic insects emerging from small streams and trapped. Many intact specimens never seen before.
Here it's estimated that 1/8 of the insects trapped above 8,000' is a new species.

 

[baggins]

Nice one Darryl,
we went on a weekend survey with Brian and his collegues 2 years ago. They really were a lovely (if not nerdy) group. But, it was interesting to see that these guys were lab rats and struggled to spot the species in the wild, even when they carpeted the floor. Once spotted they could ID them so quickly, it was scary.
He now has 2 specimens of ours awaiting ID, both potentially unknown in the UK (if they are, we even get them named after us).
I believe the lost and found project is coming to an end now, but they often asked for volunteers to go out with them, seriously well worth a weekend away if it continues.

 

[Janne]

I only know funhi I can eat, and eat only funhi I know, but I am sure there must be scores of them that are genetically separate from the look alike brothers and sisters, and thus unknown.

In the days when my knees and back still had a resemblance of some flexibilty, I used to turn over logs or stones, lie down and observe.

Incredibly interesting and beautiful micro cosmoses!