Hundreds of edible wild fungi can be found the UK, but some are much better known than others. Here is our guide to thirty of the most important of them. The descriptions are taken from Geoff Dann's new comprehensive guide to European wild fungi (Edible Mushrooms – a forager's guide to the wild fungi of Britain, Ireland and Europe) with permission from the publisher http://www.greenbooks.co.uk/. The photos are also Geoff's and representative of the photos you will find in the book. In addition to the photo and description, the book also contains sections for each species on lookalike species and general notes. We have provided the full entry, as it appears in the book, for one species (The Charcoal Burner).

****EDIT: The book is released on the 20th October, use the code Wild35Nov when you buy from the publisher greenbooks.co.uk

Picture: The Charcoal Burner full spread of p144 and p115.

The publisher is offering a discount to anyone who provides them with the code Wild35Nov at www.greenbooks.co.uk, before the end of November 2017. The publication date for Edible Mushrooms is October 20th 2016. You may also be able to contact Geoff directly for a signed copy for a limited time only - see the end of this article for full details.

Amethyst Deceiver

Laccaria amethystina

Edibility suspect (but good). Basic.

Cap 1-6cm, shape can be almost as irregular as previous species, a beautiful shade of purple

when wet, drying very pale. Stem 3-10cm, irregularly flattened, wavy or twisted, streaked

with white fibres and downy near the base. Flesh thin, colour as cap. Gills colours as cap,

sometimes covered with white spores, thick, distant, adnate with a decurrent tooth. Spore

print white. Smell and taste mild, pleasant. Habitat woodland, especially with beech,

and in nutrient-rich locations. Season summer to winter. Distribution widespread and

common in Europe. Present worldwide, apart from western North America.

Bay Bolete

Imleria badia (syn. Boletus badius)

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Cap 3-14cm, hemispherical then convex, often ending up flat, chestnut to dark brown,

initially downy then smooth, sticky when wet. Stem 4-13cm, paler than cap, with brown

streaks but no network. Flesh white, becoming faintly blue above the tubes on cutting.

Tubes yellow, temporarily bruising green-blue. Pores medium-sized, initially round,

becoming angular, cream becoming olive, bruising dark blue. Smell strong, distinctive but

hard to describe. Taste strong, pleasant. Habitat woodland, usually with conifers or beech,

preferring acid or neutral soil. Season late summer to autumn. Distribution widespread

and common in Europe, particularly the north, though rarer in the far north. Common in

the British Isles, locally very common. Also present in the temperate and subtropical zones

of Asia and eastern North America.

Beefsteak Fungus

Fistulina hepatica

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Fruit body 5-28cm across, initially almost spherical, pale and velvety, soon becoming

radially grooved, tongue or kidney-shaped, lobed, wavy, tiered and otherwise irregular,

sometimes exuding blood-like droplets, sometimes with a very short stem, colour of a slab

of meat (especially like ox tongue). Upper surface sticky and slightly rough, red. Lower

surface white/yellow bruising red/brown and eventually turning red/brown. Flesh red,

fibrous, steak-like. Smell pleasant. Taste sour/fruity, of variable strength. Season late

summer to mid-autumn. Distribution widespread in Europe and frequent as far north as

southern Scandinavia. Common in England, slightly less so in the rest of the British Isles.

Also present in the temperate and subtropical zones of north Africa, Asia, and North and

South America. Introduced in Australia.

Brown Birch Bolete

Leccinum scabrum

Edible. Beginner.

Cap 5-15cm, hemispherical becoming convex then flatter, brown, rather soft, sticky when

wet. Stem 5-15cm, usually quite thin, cream, covered in brown scales that tend to be

arranged in branching lines. Flesh white, barely changing on cutting. Tubes white or pale

grey, becoming darker and bruising slightly brown. Pores small, angular, colour as tubes.

Spore print brown. Smell and taste mild, pleasant. Habitat with birch. Season summer

to autumn. Distribution very common in temperate areas of Europe, particularly the

north and including the extreme north. Rare or absent in the Mediterranean south. Also

present in northern North America and north-western Asia, and introduced in Australia

and New Zealand.

Cauliflower Fungus

Sparassis crispa

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Fruit body 20-40cm in diameter and up to 30cm high, surface of the fronds white-cream,

becoming more yellow-brown with age. Smell pleasant, distinctive but hard to describe.

Taste slightly bitter when raw. Habitat at the base of conifers, usually pine. Season late

summer to autumn. Distribution frequent in Europe. Also present in Asia and eastern

North America. Possibly a species complex.

Chanterelle (French: Girolle)

Cantharellus cibarius

Edible. Basic.

Cap 3-10cm, with a wavy, irregular margin, egg-yolk yellow, smooth. Stem 3-8cm, tapering

downwards, same colour as cap. Flesh pale yellow or white. Spore-bearing surface gilllike

wrinkles, colour as cap, rather distant, deeply decurrent, multiply forked. Spore print

pale yellow. Smell fruity/apricots. Taste (raw) slightly peppery. Habitat coniferous and

deciduous woodland, usually in groups, often on slopes. Season summer to autumn.

Distribution common in Europe, particularly the north. Also present in Asia, Africa and

North America.

The Charcoal Burner

Russula cyanoxantha

Edible (delicacy). Intermediate.

Cap 5-15cm, convex becoming flat, sometimes with a central depression that can be quite

pronounced, colour extremely variable, greasy when wet, hard and smooth or slightly

velvety when dry, half peeling. Stem 5-10cm, stout, usually tapering upwards slightly,

usually white but sometimes flushed purple/pink. Flesh white, brittle. Gills white to

cream, crowded, adnexed or slightly decurrent, sometimes forked, greasy to the touch and

flexible (run your fingers over them and they should flip like the pages of a book, instead of

breaking like those of most brittlegills). Spore print white. Smell and taste mild. Habitat

woodland, usually deciduous, and especially with beech or oak, prefers acidic, nutrientrich

locations. Season midsummer to late autumn. Distribution widespread and common

in Europe. Also present in Asia, Africa, North America and Australia.

Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus sulphureus

Edible (delicacy). Basic.

Bracket 10-40cm, initially a soft, pale yellow mass, soon becoming fan-shaped and a

mixture of lemon yellow to deep orange colours, usually in tiers. Upper surface a bit lumpy

and velvety. Lower surface very fine, circular pores, pale lemon yellow. Flesh initially

very soft and succulent, steadily becoming tougher and eventually crumbly. Spore print

white. Smell and taste of chicken, becoming sour with age. Habitat dead and living trees,

especially oak, beech, cherry, sweet chestnut and yew. Season late spring to early autumn.

Distribution frequent in Europe, apart from the far north. Also present in North America

east of the Rockies, Asia including the islands between Asia and Australia, and Africa.

Common Puffball

Lycoperdon perlatum

Edible (good). Basic.

Fruit body up to 9cm tall, roughly pear-shaped, but with a distinguishable stem, covered in

“warts” or “pearls” which readily detach to leave a reticulate pattern. Initially white, turning

brown. Habitat woodland. Season summer to late autumn. Distribution widespread and

very common, sometimes fruiting in very large troops or rings. Present worldwide.

Conifer Parasol

Chlorophyllum olivieri (syn. C. rhacodes var. rhacodes)

Edible (delicacy, caution). Intermediate.

Cap 5-15cm, convex becoming flat, densely covered in coarse, fibrous grey-brown scales

on a dirty grey background, with a completely brown centre. Stem 10-20cm, stalk length

approximately one and a half times cap diameter, cylindrical with an abrupt, rounded

bulb at the base, smooth, white, lacking the snakeskin pattern of a Parasol Mushroom and

with a double ring. Flesh white, slowly discolouring red-brown when cut. Gills white,

crowded, free. Spore print white. Smell strong, pleasant. Taste mild, pleasant. Habitat

litter beneath trees, especially conifers. Sometimes in rings. Season summer and autumn.

Distribution true European and British distribution unclear but common in south-east

England. Also present in North America.

Fairy Ring Champignon, Fairy Ring Mushroom

or Scotch Bonnet (French: (Faux) Mousseron)

Marasmius oreades

Edible (delicacy). Intermediate.

Cap 2-5cm, initially convex, becoming flat with a broad umbo, faintly lined at the margin,

yellow-brown when wet, sometimes with a darker centre, drying much paler, smooth. Stem

2-10cm, slender, cream at the apex, becoming darker towards the base, very tough. Flesh

white. Gills white becoming cream, distant, adnexed or free. Spore print white. Smell

of fresh sawdust. Taste pleasant. Habitat in rings and lines, nearly always in grassland:

lawns, pasture, grass-covered roundabouts, etc, but also found on sand dunes. Season late

spring to late autumn. Distribution widespread and very common in Europe, especially in

warmer areas. Present worldwide, apart from Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa.

Field Mushroom

Agaricus campestris

Edible (delicacy). Basic.

Cap 3-10cm, hemispherical at first and taking a long time to flatten out, white, smooth then

slightly scaly. Stem 3-10cm, tapering downwards, white, with an insubstantial, ephemeral

ring. Flesh white, almost unchanging, sometimes with a hint of pink. Gills initially darker

pink than most Agaricus, and eventually very dark brown, crowded, free. Spore print

brown. Smell and taste mushroomy. Habitat grassland, usually pasture. Season late spring

to late autumn. Distribution widespread and frequent in Europe. Present worldwide.

Giant Puffball

Calvatia gigantea

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Fruit body typically up to 70cm in diameter but 150cm specimens have been recorded,

white when young, eventually turning dark brown, loosely connected to the ground by a

mycelial strand. Habitat usually pasture, especially that of cattle, but can appear in other

types of grassland, gardens and occasionally woodland or roadsides. Prefers nutrient-rich

locations. Season midsummer to early autumn. Distribution widespread and occasional

to frequent in temperate areas of Europe. Rather unevenly distributed – can be locally

abundant. Present in temperate zones worldwide.

Hedgehog Fungus, Hedgehog Mushroom or

Wood Hedgehog (French: Pied de Mouton)

Hydnum repandum

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Cap 3-17cm, convex, then flattened and slightly depressed, often very irregularly lobed

and fused, cream, finely velvety. Stem 2-7cm, often off-centre, paler than cap. Flesh white,

bruising yellow in stem base. Spines up to 0.6cm long, white or slightly pink/yellow,

easily detached, decurrent. Spore print white. Smell faint, pleasant. Taste slightly bitter

when raw. Habitat woodland, often in rings, sometimes very large. Season late summer

to late autumn, and can be found throughout the winter in southern areas. Distribution

widespread and common in most parts of Europe, but red listed in Germany, Belgium

and The Netherlands. Common in south-east England and the English/Welsh borders,

uncommon in central England and East Anglia, frequent elsewhere in the British Isles.

Present worldwide.

Horn of Plenty or Black Trumpet (French: Trompette de la Mort)

Craterellus cornucopioides

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Fruit body 2-15cm, tubular and very irregular. Spore-bearing surface smooth, becoming

wavy, grey-black. Spore print white to very pale brown. Smell fruity, pleasant, less pleasant

when older. Taste mild. Habitat deciduous woodland, usually in large groups. Particularly

likes slopes under old beech trees on acid soil. Season mid- to late autumn. Distribution

widespread and frequent in Europe, but considerably more common in areas where beech

is native (the southern half of the British Isles, all of central Europe but not the far north or

far south-west). Also present in Asia and north and west Africa. Tends to fruit biennially.

Horse Mushroom

Agaricus arvensis

Edible (delicacy). Intermediate.

Cap 7-20cm, egg-shaped, then convex, eventually almost flat, bruising slightly yellow,

especially around the edges, but not as brightly as the toxic members of this genus,

slightly scurfy. Stem 8-13cm, often slightly bent, scaly and slightly wider near the base,

white, with a large, persistent superior ring, initially forming a partial veil in a starshaped/

cogwheel pattern. Flesh white, unchanging. Gills white, then pink, then brown,

crowded, free. Spore print dark brown. Smell and taste distinctly of aniseed/almonds,

eventually becoming faintly ammoniacal. Habitat very varied – grassland, woodland,

parks and gardens, roadsides and sometimes even compost heaps. Season summer to late

autumn. Distribution widespread and common in Europe. Also present in Asia, North

America and Australasia.

Jelly Ear or Jew’s Ear

Auricularia auricula-judae

Edible (good). Basic.

Fruit body 2-8cm, ear-shaped, smooth or wrinkled, purple-brown. Flesh rubbery. Spore

print white. Smell and taste indistinguishable. Habitat wood, usually dead, usually elder.

Season all year. Distribution common from southern Spain to the southern tip of Sweden.

Very common in the British Isles, particularly in the south. Also present in the temperate

and subtropical zones of Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South America.

Larch Bolete

Suillus grevillei (syn. S. elegans)

Edible. Beginner.

Cap 3-11cm, hemispherical becoming convex then flat, colour variable yellows and browns,

very slimy when wet, sticky when dry. Stem 5-11cm, cylindrical, usually slender, sometimes

swollen at the base, with ring, yellowish with darker zone at the base. Flesh pale yellow in

cap, darker in stem, initially firm becoming much softer. Tubes pale yellow. Pores small,

angular, pale yellow bruising brown. Smell and taste faint, pleasant. Habitat with larch.

Season late summer to mid-autumn. Distribution common everywhere in Europe where

larch is native or introduced (the temperate areas, especially northern and mountainous).

Rare or absent in the Mediterranean south. Very common in the British Isles. Also present

in the temperate and subtropical zones of Asia and North America. Introduced in Australia.

Meadow Waxcap

Cuphophyllus pratensis (syn. Hygrocybe pratensis)

Edible (delicacy). Intermediate.

Cap 2-12cm, initially convex, becoming flatter with a very broad umbo, yellow-brown.

Stem 2-10cm, usually colours as cap but paler. Flesh very pale brown, thick. Gills pale buff,

distant, deeply decurrent. Spore print white. Smell and taste mild, mushroomy, pleasant.

Habitat unimproved grassland, pasture, short turf, very occasionally woodland. Season

mid- to late autumn. Distribution widespread and common in Europe, particularly in

temperate areas. Also present in the temperate and subtropical zones of north Africa, Asia,

North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Oyster Mushroom

Pleurotus ostreatus

Edible (good). Basic.

Cap 4-20cm, shell-shaped, flattening with age, colour very variable. Stem 0-3cm, usually

oyster-shaped, white with a woolly base. Flesh white and quite tough. Gills white then

cream, crowded, deeply decurrent. Spore print lilac. Smell and taste mild, mushroomy.

Habitat trunks and stumps of dead and dying deciduous and coniferous trees, and

sometimes on worked timber. Season all year, but especially winter. Distribution

widespread and common in Europe. Also present in Asia, North and South America,

Australia and New Zealand.

Parasol Mushroom

Macrolepiota procera

Edible (delicacy). Basic.

Cap 10-25cm, initially spherical, becoming flat and umbonate, white, covered in brown,

shaggy scales. Stem 15-30cm, cylindrical, slender, covered in a brown snakeskin pattern,

with a double, movable, superior ring. Flesh initially white, eventually dirty brown, and

slightly discolouring brown on contact, but not discolouring red when cut open. Gills

white, crowded, free. Spore print white. Smell and taste mild, indistinct. Habitat

woodland, grassland and roadsides. Sometimes in large rings. Season summer and autumn.

Distribution widespread and common in most of Europe, but absent in the far north.

Common in the southern half of the British Isles, rare in the north. Present in temperate

and subtropical zones worldwide.

Penny Bun or Cep (French: Cèpe, Italian: Porcino)

Boletus edulis

Edible (delicacy). Basic.

Cap 8-30cm, hemispherical becoming convex, sometimes ending up flat or even with flared,

raised edges, brown, sometimes initially white at the margin, can be smooth and dry, or a bit

greasy, sometimes wrinkled. Stem 3-25cm, variably shaped, usually stout, sometimes very

bulbous, upper half covered in a network of raised white lines (“reticulations”) on a light brown

surface, usually much less pronounced on the lower half. Flesh white, unchanging. Tubes white,

turning dirty yellow-green. Pores small, round, colour as tubes. Smell and taste very pleasant.

Habitat deciduous and coniferous woodland, especially with beech or oak. Season summer to

autumn. Distribution widespread and common in temperate areas of Europe, particularly the

north and mountainous areas further south. Also present in North and South America, Asia

and north Africa. Introduced in Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa.

Porcelain Fungus or Poached Egg Fungus

Oudemansiella mucida

Edible (good). Beginner.

Cap 2-10cm, convex becoming flat with a slight umbo, sometimes wavy, white, slightly

translucent, very slimy. Stem 3-10cm, slender, usually cylindrical with a slightly bulbous

base, tough, white above the ring, darker below. Flesh thin. Gills white, very distant,

adnate. Spore print white. Smell and taste faint. Habitat dead deciduous trees, nearly

always beech. Season late summer to autumn. Distribution common in Europe where

beech is native or widely introduced (warmer temperate areas, but not Mediterranean south

or the bulk of Scandinavia). Common in the south of the British Isles, rarer in the north.

Also present in the temperate and subtropical zones of Asia.

Scarlet Waxcap

Hygrocybe coccinea

Edible (good). Beginner.

Cap 2-5cm, convex then flatter with a small, nipple-like umbo, initially slimy, then dry,

scarlet. Stem 2-6cm, often flattened and/or hollow, scarlet at the apex, becoming yellow

towards the base. Flesh red/orange/yellow. Gills red/orange with a yellow edge, spacing,

adnate with a decurrent tooth. Spore print white. Smell and taste mild. Habitat grassland,

particularly coastal. Season mid- to late autumn. Distribution widespread in temperate

areas of Europe and common in the north. Very common in the British Isles. Also present

in the temperate zones of Asia and North America.

Shaggy Inkcap or Lawyer’s Wig

(American: Shaggy Mane)

Coprinus comatus

Edible (good). Beginner.

Cap, flesh and gills 5-18cm high, initially egg-shaped, white and covered in shaggy scales,

then cylindrical, then bell-shaped with an upturned margin that turns black and starts to

deliquesce (become liquid), until eventually there is nothing left of the cap apart from a

small black ring at the top of the stem. Stem 10-40cm, although usually more like 20cm,

white, with a loose ring that slips down. Spore print dark brown. Smell and taste faint,

pleasant. Habitat lawns (sometimes associated with buried wood), roadsides and the

edges of paths, gardens and compost heaps, and very often on recently disturbed ground.

Season autumn. Distribution widespread and common in Europe. Also present in the

temperate and subtropical zones of north Africa and Asia, and throughout North and

South America. Introduced in Australia and New Zealand.

Stump Puffball

Lycoperdon pyriforme

Edible (good). Beginner.

Fruit body up to 5cm tall, pear-shaped. Habitat always on rotting wood, usually

deciduous, even if they appear to be coming from the ground (from buried wood), often

in dense and extensive troops. Season summer to autumn. Distribution widespread and

common in Europe. Very common in the British Isles. Present worldwide.

The Blusher

Amanita rubescens

Edible (good). Advanced.

Cap 5-15cm, hemispherical then flat, brown-pink, usually paler near the margin, covered

in grey-pink woolly veil remnants, rather variable. Stem 6-15cm, white above the striate

ring, more grey-pink below, with a very bulbous base but no discernible volva. Flesh white,

slowly turning pink on exposure to air, particularly noticeable in areas of slug damage.

Gills white becoming pink, crowded, free. Spore print white. Smell faint. Taste (raw)

slightly sweet, then slightly acrid. Habitat all types of woodland, usually solitary but

sometimes in troops and very occasionally in rings. Season late spring to late autumn.

Distribution widespread and very common in Europe. Also present in north Africa.

Introduced in South America and Australia.

Velvet Shanks ( Japanese: Enokitake)

Flammulina velutipes

Edible (good). Intermediate/basic.

Cap 1-10cm, initially convex, becoming flatter and sometimes umbonate, orange,

sometimes darker towards the centre, slimy when wet, smooth and shiny when dry. Stem

3-10cm, yellowish at the apex, dark brown and velvety below, very tough, often curved

and/or flattened. Flesh thin, tough, light brown. Gills white becoming grey-yellow, rather

crowded, adnate or emarginate. Spore print white. Smell and taste mild and pleasant.

Habitat dead or dying deciduous trees and shrubs. Season late autumn to early spring.

Distribution widespread and common in Europe. Present worldwide, apart from Saharan

and sub-Saharan Africa.

Trumpet or Winter Chanterelle

(French: Chanterelle, American: Yellowleg)

Craterellus tubaeformis

Edible (delicacy). Beginner.

Cap 1.5-6cm, mixture of brown, yellow and grey. Stem 2-8cm, tubular, often flattened

or grooved, yellow becoming grey-yellow. Flesh thin. Spore-bearing surface yellow then

grey-yellow, vein-like wrinkles, very distant, decurrent, forked. Spore print pale yellow.

Smell faint, pleasant, distinctive, spicy/fruity. Taste mild to slightly bitter (raw). Habitat

woodland, usually in large groups, particularly preferring conifer woodland with bracken

and/or large amounts of coarse woody debris. Season mid-autumn to early winter.

Distribution widespread and common in Europe, especially the north, and can be locally

extremely abundant. Frequent to common in the British Isles, particularly in the Scottish

Highlands and south-east England. Also present in the temperate to tropical zones of Asia

and eastern North America.

Wood Mushroom

Agaricus silvicola

Edible (good). Intermediate.

Cap 5-14cm, hemispherical then flat, white-cream, with a darker centre, bruising yellow.

Stem 5-10cm, usually cylindrical with a bulbous base, white, with a large, pendulous ring.

Flesh white or pale pink, rather thin. Gills white, then pink, then dark brown, crowded,

free. Spore print dark brown. Smell aniseed. Taste mild, mushroomy. Habitat woodland.

Season autumn. Distribution widespread and frequent in Europe. Also present in Asia,

North America, Africa and Australia.

Chris (owner of WMO) would like to say:-

Geoff Dann is a much valued contributor to this site, this excellent book is available from Amazon as a preorder now or a limited number of signed copies will be available from the author directly from around a week prior to the official release date of October 30th. Geoff's email address is geoffdann@hotmail.com he will be happy to hear from you.

Please buy your copies either ideally from Geoff directly or failing that through a link on this site to help contribute to the upkeep of this website.

Green books are also offering WMO readers the chance to purchase the book with 35% discount until 30th November - use the code Wild35Nov at their site greenbooks.co.uk