Birmingham Natural History Society: Mycology Section
by M. J. Austin. Key to the Mycologists of the Warwickshire Fungus Survey
Owing to the difficulties experienced by beginners , and even by experienced observers in identifying human species appearing on forays in the English Midlands, it is hoped that this key will be of help. It is quite likely that, even having used your field notes carefully, you may be unable to identify your specimen. To begin with, you may find that a host of specimens foraying, may look, and even sound alike macroscopically, clad in dull weatherbeaten clothing, armed with assorted collecting baskets, silently rummaging about in woodland undergrowth. Do not despair. On close observation,you will find with relief that they are all more or less human and exhibit a variety of differing features.
The characters used in the key are as follows:-
1. Male or Female. If you cannot distinguish this, you don't know what you are missing.
2. Cap fibrillose, or not. You may have to remove any hat or other covering to check this, Try to time this inspection with showing the specimen a toadstool, when most specimens will immediately go into a trance-like state, even shock for several seconds and may even try to put a name to the fungus.
3. Stem shape and details. Great care must be taken with species determined as female. The stem should not be touched, as the thin silky covering may be damaged, and you may well be struck by the enraged specimen. Male specimen details can be checked fairly readily by lifting the trouser leg until the details are discernable.
4. Smell. It is best to stand downwind of the specimen, as close as is possible, without giving offence. Female smells tend to be pleasant, i.e. like Channel Tunnel No. 5, while male smells are very variable, from those similar to female, to stale tobacco etc.
5. Cortinarius reaction. This most important test is rather similar to the chemical testing of toadstools. The specimen should be confronted by a fresh Cortinarius, preferably of the hygrophanous variety. A positive reaction is indicated where the specimen takes, or at least touches the fungus. Negative reactions range from indifference, to physically damaging the Cortinarius, sometimes even treading it into the ground and jumping up and down on it.
Owing to the disappearance from the area of a number of our members over the years, we append a red data list of Warwickshire mycologists under the catagory of 'rare species'.
1
Specimen clearly male 2
2(1)
Cap fibrillose to strigose 3
3(2) Smell present (may be faint) 4
4(3) Cortinarius reaction positive (may be fleeting) 5
5(4) Smell of old oily rags Mike Austin [I] 6(5) Faint smell of spent cordite
Chris Lewis [2] 7(4) Smell strong, of Scotch whisky, with suggestion of
haggis
Bill Moodie [4] 8(3) Cortinarius reaction positive 9 9(8) Stem substantial
Chris Berry [7] 10(2) Cortinarius reaction positive 11
11(10) Smell of chalk and damp blackboard dusters
David Antrobus [10] 12(1) Smell of perfume 13
13(12) Cortinarius reaction positive 14
14(13) Stem medium
Dinah Griffin [12] 15(13) Stem with ribbed covering, green, peronate at the
base
Gill Brand [14] 16(12) Cortinarius reaction positive 17
17(16) Stem medium or long 18
18(17) Stem long, smell of MAC computer ink
Clare Hinchliffe [16] 19(17) Smell of chalk mixed with chemicals
Sian Davies [18] 20(16) Stem medium
Jane Sells [20]
Divised and written by the late Mike Austin,
First edition 1975,
Slightly updated in 1999 by Bill Moodie
by kind permission of the author.
In that event, forward all details to the survey chairman immediately, for you may have found a species new to Warwickshire, or even new to science.
Great care must be taken to be prepared for the innocent positive, where the unfortunate specimen may suffer a delayed violent reaction, depending on the length of contact. This reaction usually results in the specimen experiencing slight nervous twitching, and worse, and has even resulted in the total disappearance of the species.
Key to Species
Specimen clearly female
12
Cap smooth, or nearly so
10
No discernable smell present
8
Cortinarius reaction negative (may be violent)
7
Not so
6
Smell of crisp new banknotes
Ian Lang [3]
Smell faint, of wet dog
John Williams [5]
Cortinarius reaction negative
John Sells [6]
Stem thin
Roy Crees [8]
Cortinarius reaction negative
John Roberts [9]
Smell of photographic chemicals
Bert Brand [11]
Smell otherwise, or absent
16
Cortinarius reaction negative
15
Stem short
Val Roberts [13]
Stem smooth
Janet Antrobus [15]
Cortinarius reaction negative
20
Stem short
19
Stem medium, smell of laboratory chemicals
Sue Lang [17]
Smell absent
Margaret Crees [19]
Stem short
Pauline Sands [21]
Created on a Mac
Design, construction and maintenance by Clare Hinchliffe.
© Copyright Warwickshire Fungus Survey.
Graphics on this page from plates by Emile Boudier 'Iconesmycologicae' 1905-1910.