Agarics Agarics Agarics Agarics Fungi of North East Victoria An Identication and Conservation Guide North East Victoria encompasses an area of almost 20,000 km2, bounded by the Murray River to the north and east, the Great Dividing Range to the south and Fungi the Warby Ranges to the west. From box ironbark woodlands and heathy dry forests, open plains and wetlands, alpine herb elds, montane grasslands and of North East Victoria tall ash forests, to your local park or backyard, fungi are found throughout the region. Every fungus species contributes to the functioning, health and An Identification and Conservation Guide resilience of these ecosystems. Identifying Fungi This guide represents 96 species from hundreds, possibly thousands that grow in the diverse habitats of North East Victoria. It includes some of the more conspicuous and distinctive species that can be recognised in the eld, using features visible to the Agaricus xanthodermus* Armillaria luteobubalina* Coprinellus disseminatus Cortinarius austroalbidus Cortinarius sublargus Galerina patagonica gp* Hypholoma fasciculare Lepista nuda* Mycena albidofusca Mycena nargan* Protostropharia semiglobata Russula clelandii gp. yellow stainer Australian honey fungus fairy bonnet Australian white webcap funeral bell sulphur tuft blewit* white-crowned mycena Nargan’s bonnet dung roundhead naked eye or with a x10 magnier. LAMELLAE M LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S, P ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE M ■ ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ When identifying a fungus, try and nd specimens of the same species at dierent growth stages, so you can observe the developmental changes that can occur. Also note the variation in colour and shape that can result from exposure to varying weather conditions. This will give you a sense of the range of variation within the species. Also, take a little mirror with you so you can observe the nature of the underside of the specimen. Fungi Fungus Names Each species is represented by a scientic name and a common name (where one exists). The majority of Australian fungi are yet to be formally named and some are only identied to genus level. Some names also have the qualier 'gp' (group), which of North East Victoria East North of means it is part of a species complex. Species that are part of the Fungimap mapping scheme are indicated by an asterisk (*). Amanita farinacea gp* Austropaxillus infundibuliformis* Coprinus comatus* Cortinarius austrovenetus Crepidotus variabilis Gymnopilus junonius* Lacrymaria asperospora Leratiomyces ceres Mycena cystidiosa* Omphalotus nidiformis* Psilocybe subaeruginosa* Russula persanguinea Australian Field Guides Australian our lepidella Australian funnel pax lawyer's wig green skinhead variable oysterling spectacular rustgill weeping widow redlead roundhead tall mycena ghost fungus golden top LAMELLAE M Clusker J & Wallace R (2018) Fungi of the Bendigo Region. Clusker and Wallace, Bendigo. ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S, M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S, P ■ LAMELLAE S ■ Fuhrer B (2011) A Field Guide to the Fungi of Australia. Bloomings Books, Melbourne. Grey P & Grey E (2005) Fungi Down Under. Fungimap, Melbourne. McCann I (2003) Australian Fungi Illustrated. Macdown, Melbourne. Young A (2005) A Field Guide to the Fungi of Australia. UNSW Press, Sydney. Further Reading on Fungi Marren P (2012) Mushrooms. British Wildlife Publishing, Dorset. McCoy P (2016) Radical Mycology. Chthaeus Press, Oregon. Moore D, Robson G, Trinci A (2011) 20th Century Guidebook to Fungi. CUP, Cambridge. Pouliot A (2018) The Allure of Fungi. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. Websites of Interest Amanita muscaria* Chlorophyllum brunneum* Cortinarius aerolatoimbricatus Cortinarius persplendidus Cruentomycena viscidocruenta* Hygrocybe sp. Lactarius deliciosus Macrolepiota clelandii* Mycena epipterygia Oudemansiella gigaspora gp. Rhodocollybia butyracea Schizophyllum commune Fungimap www.fungimap.org.au y agaric shaggy parasol ruby bonnet waxcap saron milkcap Australian parasol yellow-stemmed mycena rooting shank buttery collybia split gill www.anbg.gov.au/fungi LAMELLAE M LAMELLAE M Australian National Botanic Gardens ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ ■ ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S Atlas of Living Australia www.ala.org.au iNaturalist Australia www.inaturalist.ala.org.au Landcare Australia www.landcareaustralia.org.au ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Research, text and photography: Alison Pouliot. Design: Paul McKenna. Thanks to Tom May for assistance with species validation. Citation: Pouliot A (2020). Fungi of North East Victoria. DELWP, Wodonga, Vic. © The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) logo. To view a copy of this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclaimer :This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without aw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any Amanita xanthocephala* Collybia eucalyptorum* Cortinarius archeri* Cortinarius sinapicolor* Flammulina velutipes Hypholoma australianum Lactarius eucalypti* Marasmius elegans* Mycena interrupta* Paxillus involutus gp. Roridomyces austrororidus Volvopluteus gloiocephalus* information in this publication. ISBN 978-1-76105-240-8. © Images – Alison Pouliot. © Design – Colourfield Design vermillion grisette emperor cortinar slimy yellow cortinar velvet shank eucalypt milkcap velvet parachute pixies parasol funnel pax rose-gilled grisette LAMELLAE S LAMELLAE S LAMELLAE S www.colourfield.com.au 2020 ■ LAMELLAE M ■ ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ ■ LAMELLAE M ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ LAMELLAE S ■ ■ LAMELLAE S Fungi with Pores Pores / Tooth Fungi / Corals Jellies / Stinkhorns / Birdsnests / Earthstars / Puballs Cups/Discs/True-like Fungi/Clubs/Morels/Lichens Trophic Modes Fungi and Fire Fungi obtain food in dierent ways, referred to as trophic modes. Many are recyclers Fire aects fungi by altering or destroying their habitats, food sources and plant (saprotrophs), breaking down organic material and releasing nutrients, while others partners; reducing soil structure and nutrient availability; and aecting interactions form mutually benecial relationships (mycorrhizas) with plants. One of the most with other organisms, especially mycophagous (fungus eating) animals. Like some well-known unions or symbioses is that of lichens, formed between an alga/e and a animals and plants, some fungi are adapted to cope with re. While many fungi cannot fungus. Other fungi are parasitic, deriving nutrition from a living host. All three types tolerate and are destroyed by re (e.g. many lichens), others are stimulated by re and of fungi play a vital role in ecosystem function. its subsequent eects. These are known as carbonicolous (coal-inhabiting), pyrophilous The trophic mode for each species is indicated by the letters: (re-loving) or phoenicoid (derived from Phoenix) fungi. With some fungi, the heat S=saprotrophic; M=mycorrhizal; P=parasitic; Y=symbiotic. from re can stimulate spore germination. Other fungi respond to the increase in soil The reproductive structures of fungi such as mushrooms, puballs and jellies alkalinity following re. Others still capitalise on the soil-sterilising eect of re and the (collectively referred to as sporophores), alert us to the presence of fungi. However, reduced competition from soil micro-organisms. Austroboletus lacunosus gp* Phylloporus sp. Grifola colensoi Phaeolus schweinitzii Trametes coccinea Artomyces austropiperatus Calocera sinensis gp. Ileodictyon gracile* Geastrum triplex Aleuria aurantia* Rhizopogon luteolus Chrysothrix candelaris* gilled bolete dyer’s mazegill scarlet bracket peppery coral fungus pretty horn smooth cage collared earthstar orange peel fungus yellow false true gold dust lichen the actual fungus organism exists as a matrix of long cells called hyphae that form Ecosystems and their inhabitants are especially vulnerable following re and soils are PORE M PORE S the fungus mycelium. Under particular conditions, usually related to an increase in ■ ■ PORE M ■ ■ PORE S ■ PORE S, P ■ CORAL S ■ JELLY S ■ STINKHORN S ■ EARTHSTAR S ■ CUP S ■ TRUFFLE-LIKE FUNGUS M ■ LICHEN Y typically unstable and friable. Fungi play a vital role as soil stabilisers and remediators moisture and decrease in temperature, the mycelium produces sporophores. in kickstarting the recovery process. Fungi provide scaolds of mycelia that assist in Major Fungus Morphogroups binding together soil particles and ash following re. This not only stabilises soils but provides the possibility for moisture and nutrients to accumulate, thereby facilitating Fungi can be categorised in arbitrary groups based on their form, shape or texture, seed germination and colonisation by plants. known as morphogroups. The most well-known are the agarics – mushrooms