The gasteroid fungi of Essex
TONY BONIFACE
40 Pentland Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 4AZ.
Introduction
The orders of superficially similar fungi discussed in this article are now considered to be an artificial
assemblage of different and largely unrelated forms known as the gasteroid fungi, only having in
common the characteristic that the spores are developed to maturity in closed fruiting bodies. The
spores, when ripe, are passively released with the help of wind, rain-drops or insects. Most of the
species referred to here are found at ground level or amongst leaf litter, with a few occurring on
rotting stumps or timber. Tiley are divided into five orders:
Sclerodermatales - the earthballs, the Dyeball and Barometer Earthstar.
Tulostomatales - the stalk and stilt puffballs.
Lycoperdales - the true puffballs, bovists and earfhstars.
These three groups are puffball-like and produce a powdery spore-mass, which is dispersed
by wind or raindrops.
Nidulariales - the bird's nest fungi and the Cannon Fungus.
Members of tins group produce spores in 'eggs' and do not form a powdery mass of spores.
Phallales - the Stinkhorns and cage fungi.
These are soft, fleshy fungi, which develop from a jelly-like egg-stage, producing spores in
a slimy mass with an unpleasant smell to attract flics which disperse them.
The descriptions of these fungi in this article are based on the recent account of British Gasteroid
Fungi by Pegler, Laessoe & Spooner (1995). I have used every-day language to describe them,
where possible, to help non-specialists identify them and add to the known list of records. There are
however other rarer species, which have not yet been recorded in Essex; these species can be iden-
tified using the above reference. The gasteroid fungi are a fascinating group with immediate appeal
to the general public as well as to mycologists. Much interesting information about them can be
found in books by two former presidents of the Essex Field Club (Ramsbottom 1953; Ingold 1953
and Ingold 1965).
The nomenclature used here follows that found in Pegler. Laessoe & Spooner (1995). Author citations
have been omitted in accordance with the recommendation of Hawksworth (2002). The records
have been supplied by all the mycologists and record-keeping organizations in Essex known to me,
and virtually all arc unpublished. Locations arc listed in the Gazetteer with grid references for the
appropriate kilometre square except for a few more general sites. A list of recorders is included, but
only one record is given for each location.
An attempt has been made to compare the distribution of the species with that in nearby counties
using information in Ellis & Ellis (1988) and Dennis (1995). The occurrence of each species has
been indicated using the following county codes:
Surrey 1 Kent 4
West Sussex 2 Suffolk 5
East Sussex 3 Essex 6
It appears that a few species, which have been commonly found in these nearby counties, are yet to
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)
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