Once thought of as a curious form of fungi, slime moulds are now acknowledged as being entirely unrelated. For more than a century, slime moulds were grouped with the Protozoa because they behaved like amoebae and had motile, single-celled stages. Opinions still differ as to their precise taxonomic classification but they are currently placed in the Amoebozoa.

Coprophilous fungi [those growing on dung] are highly satisfactory for demonstrating the diversity and morphology of a group of related organisms within an ecological system. Representative genera of most major groups of fungi can usually be guaranteed to appear on dung after a period of incubation. The dung of herbivores plays host to more species than that of carnivores - which is good news as far as I’m concerned as it’s far more preferable digging around in herbivore dung than that of others - I do have standards after all!

The aptly named Anemone or Starfish Stinkhorn Aseroë rubra is arguably the most striking of all stinkhorn species found in Britain. It is a non-native species, having been first imported to England from Australia, probably via the Netherlands, in around 1828, when it was first observed at Kew Gardens, in Surrey. To date, all other known recorded sightings in Britain have been from a few closely linked locations in the county of Surrey.

The genus Helvella includes a number of saucer or saddle-shaped fungi with a simple stem, cup-shaped forms, and includes some species with irregular and distorted heads and a hollow, ribbed, furrowed stem. It is a widespread, speciose genus of ascomycetes whose members are found in various terrestrial biomes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Although an infrequent and rather localised species, Geastrum triplex , the Collared Earthstar, is probably the most commonly found of the British Geastrum species. Initially appearing as a part-buried ball, typically with a conspicuous beak, the mature fruiting body eventually comprises of an outer star, an inner saucer-like collar (sometimes), and a central spore sac.

Hericium cirrhatum, the Tiered Tooth, is a very rare tooth fungus of dead hardwood trees in old woodland. It has been reported from several sites in southern England, notably the New Forest, but nowhere is it common. These images, of a selection of fruiting bodies found on a fallen beech, are from West Sussex. This remarkable fungus and other members of the Hericiaceae are distinguished by their icicle-like spines.

The stunning Sarcoscypha austriaca, commonly referred to as Scarlet Elfcup, is widespread but generally only occasional throughout Britain and Ireland. It appears in winter and early spring on dead hardwood twigs in damp, shady places, usually partly buried amongst moss and leaf litter.

Despite its rich orange-red appearance Melastiza cornubiensis (Pezizales: Pyronemataceae) is a small ascomycete fungus that is easily overlooked. The cup-shaped fruiting bodies, growing to a maximum of around 5-15mm across, become irregular, undulating and somewhat contorted where several fruiting bodies are crowded together.

This rare ascomycete fungus, found on the dung of ponies and horses, takes its vernacular name from the resemblance of the fruiting bodies to broad-headed nails. Poronia punctata is now very scarce in Britain and Ireland and confined to sites where ponies feed exclusively on rough pastures and heathland.

The tiny and rarely recorded Guepiniopsis buccina (Dacrymycetales: Dacrymycetaceae). Only 7 records are currently listed on the NBN Atlas [28 November 2025].

A somewhat uncommon find, probably exacerbated by its form and rather drab and discreet colouring, the Felt Saddle H. macropus is nevertheless widespread across Britain and Ireland. It is one of several 'saddle fungi' that appear in forests, particularly beside footpaths.

There were just fourteen records for Cortinarius pratensis  listed on the FRDBI database [February, 2018]. The attached specimens were located in a West Sussex sand dune system during a detailed search of the area in December 2017.

Although Chlorencoelia versiformis is regarded as a rare saprotroph fungus with a restricted range on decaying wood of broadleaved species, I have located a number colonies over the last 10 years or so.

It is too easy to solely blame collecting for the demise of the Large Copper Lycaena dispar ssp. dispar in Britain; although the irresponsible actions of some early collectors undoubtedly played a very important part in the loss of the subspecies that was endemic to the British Isles.

In Britain, the Flame Shield, Pluteus aurantiorugosus is an uncommon find and is primarily restricted to southern England and south Wales. It occurs mainly on rotting broadleaf stumps and large logs of buried hardwood timber.