THE appearance of an exuberant crop of Daldinia Concentrica on a dying tree in the garden, and the discovery that this particular fungus can be used as a natural firelighter, excited my fascination with the world of fungi. My ignorance of the subject, however, is profound, and I was grateful for the education provided by Close Encounters of the Fungal Kind, a record of explorations into the mushroom realm.
Academically, the author, Richard Fortey, is a Professor of Palaeontology with a long connection to the Natural History Museum, in Kensington, but his private passion is for mycology: the study of fungi, including mushrooms, yeasts, and moulds.
The book is an account of his “forays” — a term that he prefers in distinction to foraging, which, he regrets, involves harvesting sometimes scarce and endangered fungi. He is a genial companion, leading the reader on homely walks in the Chilterns interspersed with forays further afield in Italy and Australia.
His story of the part played by fungi on a decomposing log of cherry wood is a training in observation, but, in addition to the science, there are some charming personal asides. Many readers, post-Covid, will be sympathetic with his “anosmia”: a new word for me, to describe the loss of one’s sense of smell.
Truffles are also on the menu, including the British native “Summer Truffle”, a pleasant addition to an omelette, although not as flavoursome as some Continental varieties. In the 19th century, large country estates used to employ specialist truffle-hunters and their dogs to keep the table supplied. Apparently, the last professional English truffle-hunter, Alfred Collins, died in 1953, leaving his digging spike to Salisbury Museum.
© jackie forteyA fairy ring produced in the grass by the fairy-ring champignon (Marasmius oreades). Author for scale. From the book
Just as the Swede Linnaeus brought system to the plant world, so another Swede, Elias Magnus Fries, is the founding father of mycology. His “Elenchus Fungorum” was published in 1828.
Churchyards are one of Professor Fortey’s favourite hunting grounds, but he has some critical comments on “no mow” regimes, despite their professed intention to support biodiversity. Is it possible that the effect of such policies will be to encourage brambles and nettles at the expense of delicate herbs and sensitive fungi, with a corresponding loss to the diversity of the insect population?
The book is enhanced by photographs, some taken by the author or his wife; and there is a useful index. Although beginners like me in search of a comprehensive survey would be well advised to obtain the Collins Fungi Guide, anyone looking for a ramble with a passionate and knowledgeable mycophile will find much to enjoy in this book.
The Rt Revd Lord Chartres is a former Bishop of London.
Close Encounters of the Fungal Kind: In pursuit of remarkable mushrooms
Richard Fortey
William Collins £25
(978-0-00-863968-6)
Church Times Bookshop £22.50