Plants

The fungi that can typically seen on peatlands in Northern Ireland are dominated by saprotrophs and species of Galerina are particularly common. These are often small, orange-brown with radial lines around the cap margin (a striate margin) and give a rust brown spore print. Some of these species are poisonous, but they are so small to rarely get the attention of those collecting for the pot.

Another common species is the Yellowleg Bonnet, Mycena epipterygia. This can be quite variable in appearance, but is often grey with a marked striate cap margin, white gills (and white spore print) and the stem is often yellow at the top of the stipe. It is however very easy to identify as it has a thin jelly like layer on the cap which can be peeled off.

Waxcaps are sometimes called the orchids of the fungi world and some small bright red species can be dound on bogs. These are likely to be the Vermilion Waxcap, Hygrocybe miniata, the Goblet Waxcap, Hygrocybe cantharellus or Hygrocybe helobia.

Other groups that can be found are species in the groups Stropharia (often on dung) and Hypholoma. Then there are the oddities like the Bog Beacon, Mitrula paludosa and Sarcoleotia turficola which demonstrate the variety of forms of fungi - they are not all the traditional mushroom shape!

Any lone Birch tree or clumps of birch around the bog edge will host a different suite of fungi with leaf litter decayers, species like the Birch Polypore, Piptoporus betulinus, or the Birch Woodwart, Hypoxylon multiforme on the trees or various mycorrhizal fungi around their base. The latter group help the tree take up nutrients from the soil and protect it against soil pathogens in exchange for carbon that the tree produces by photosynthesis.Typical mycorrhizal fungi include the Tawny Grisette, Amanita fulva, the Birch Milkcap,

Lactarius tabidus, the Ghost Bolete, Leccinum holopus, the Birch Brittlegill, Russulabetularum and the Yellow Swamp Brittlegill, Russula claroflava. The fungi of fens are similar in makeup with saprotrophs dominating the fen itself and any trees supporting a very different suite of fungi.

The fungus of most notable conservation concern in Irish peatlands is the Marsh Honey Fungus, Armillaria ectypa. This is a Biodiversity Action Plan species that until 2002, was only known in the British Isles from one alkaline fen in Cumbria. In September 1992, it was found on the Garron Plateau in Co. Antrim in a base rich flush in the bog. This fungus appears to be very rare, but as people interested in fungi are usually looking in woods in September and October, it could be that this fungus is found elsewhere. So if anyone finds a large brown fungus that is joined together into a clump in such a place, please photograph it, take a GPS reading if you can, collect it and contact the Northern Ireland Fungus Group as soon as possible! The e-mail address is david.mitchel@nifg.org.uk