With the onset of Autumn, now is a great time to start searching again for fungi as you walk through the Royal. It looks like the wet weather is set to continue, making it another fantastic season for fungiphiles. We have been blessed (though many people would disagree) in recent years with wetter than usual conditions. These are the sort of conditions that have seen fungi appearing in all sorts of places where they have not been seen before, including rings of Shaggy Inkcaps (Coprinus comatus) on the lawns of the Bonnie Vale campground.
Shaggy Inkcaps
The most important piece of information we all need to know about mushrooms is their toxicity and there have been some high-profile cases of mushroom poisoning recently. The toxins are believed to have been developed to deter predators or as an aid to spreading the fungal spores as the animal transports the spores to a distant location before it succumbs to the poison. Even trained mycologists are very cautious about eating mushrooms in the wild as similar looking fungi can be very different species with very different levels of toxicity. So, the best advice is to take photos only.
Science is only just coming to fully appreciate the amazing world of Fungi. They are neither plant nor animal and belong to their own Kingdom.
Unlike plants, fungi cannot make their own food, so they form symbiotic relationships with other organisms. They are in fact closer to animals and have chitin, similar to insect shells, rather than cellulose in their cell walls.
Because they are so small and mostly consist of long, microscopic threads known as hyphae, fungi are often overlooked. Scientists continue to discover the many crucial roles fungi play in the environment.
The part of the fungi that we see as a mushroom growing on the forest floor or coming out of a decaying log is the reproductive structure or fruiting body. The species which have visible fruiting bodies are known as Macrofungi because the majority of fungi so small they are unable to be seen with the naked eye.
Fungi are the second most diverse group of organisms in the world after arthropods and although we know a great deal about the many types of insects and other arthropods in the environment, fungi are poorly studied. Less than 50% of the fungi found in NSW have been named. It is estimated that there are around 36,000 species of fungi in NSW alone, with around 6,000 being Macrofungi. Unfortunately there are few trained taxonomic mycologists in NSW who can identify any new species found.
Fungi fruiting bodies come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Besides the typical mushroom shaped structures, there are the bracket or shell fungi, ones that resemble coral, jelly fungi, puffballs, stinkhorns, truffles and even types of bioluminescent ghost fungus.
Puffball
Coral Fungus (Ramaria sp)
Ghost Fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis)
Fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually to produce millions of spores which can be dispersed by the wind, water or animal vectors. When they land on a suitable substrate the spores germinate and produce hyphae which under the right conditions, quickly spread. With sufficient rain and cooling temperatures they produce fruiting bodies and the cycle begins again.
In the soil, fungi often live in close relationships with plant roots where they help the roots to absorb nutrients and are given sugars by the plant in return. Fungi also plays a critical role in decomposition and nutrient recycling in nature. Many genera of Australian plants including Eucalyptus, Acacia and Melaleuca rely heavily on partnerships with fungi to unlock the mineral phosphorus from the soil.
Parasitic fungi such as bracket fungus are involved in hollow formation in trees by rotting out the heartwood and providing homes for a range of birds and arboreal animals.
Bracket Fungus
We are very lucky to have our own fungi hotspot in Royal National Park. Some of the best places to see fungi in the Royal are in the wet forested areas around the southern end of Lady Carrington Drive, especially along Bola Creek. The Forest Path and the Wallumarra Track, as it winds along the creek, also contain plenty of opportunities to see a range of fungi. The accompanying photographs have mostly been taken in this area.
Boletus sp
For anyone who wants to know more about our local fungi, the Department of Primary Industries has “A Guide to the Common Fungi of Coastal New South Wales” which has excellent photographs and clear descriptions of the various types.
If you prefer a digital guide which can be put on your phone, there are quite a few but iFungi AU is an app with local species. The photography is excellent, and the key system will help you home in on possible species quite easily.
There is also the Sydney Fungal Studies Group which runs field trips for members, including some in Royal National Park.
This year three visits to Bola Creek are planned. The first one will be on Saturday 15th March. The Sydney Fungal Studies Group has very kindly let Friends of Royal members join them for the past few years and we will be doing so again in 2025. Numbers are always limited so if you would like to join us please register on the FoR website.
The other dates for this year will be 21st June and 9th August.
Just a reminder that in our National Parks, you are not allowed to pick anything, plants or fungi.
Violet Coral Fungus (Clavaria Zollingeri)
Yellow Coral Fungus
Mauve Waxy-gills
Yellow Parasol
