A forum for ALL people interested in fungi who foray in the London area. Professional or amateur, mad-keen microscope-wielder or once-a-year "can I eat it?" wanderer, everybody is welcome to share discoveries, ask questions, publicise forays and courses, or just make contact with like-minded enthusiasts.

"In his article [Dec. 1881] Phillips wrote 'The study of fungi is admitted on all hands to be one of considerable difficulty, especially when pursued by anyone alone and unaided'. Nothing has changed since. We won't get far in the recording of Britain's mycological biodiversity if we all try to go it alone." Alick Henrici, Notes and Records, Field Mycology vol.6(3) July 2005 p.101

The photo is of Coprinus comatus, Shaggy Inkcap found in a road gutter in Stepney, E1 by Jennifer Woodward in October 2007. This is now one of only two British inkcaps left in the genus Coprinus. Recent research has shown that all the other inkcaps are only distantly related, indeed in other families, and they have been assigned to the new genera Coprinopsis, Coprinellus and the delightfully named Parasola (for all the 'little Japanese umbrella' species!). Molecular DNA work is showing us much new and unexpected information.

Shaggy Inkcap, or Lawyer's Wig, is a tasty, edible species when young as this one is. Not sure I'd want to eat this one though, given what it might be growing on down there underneath the kerb. Would you?