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| Fan-shaped Schizophyllum commune, the most commonly-recorded fungus by Fungimappers in 2013. Photo by Ray Palmer, CC-BY-SA. |
With the dry, hot summer approaching the southern states of Australia, we say goodbye to the typical 'fungi season' in
this part of the country and consider what a bountiful season it
has been. Many Fungimappers will use this quieter time before the holiday-rush to organise the observations they made
during the year and write up their records to send to Fungimap. So it is good time to report on what has been recorded so
far to give you the opportunity to compare these against your own observations and reflect on what local conditions may have contributed to some species being more common in your area than in other years.
We are, of course, still receiving records for 2013, and our office volunteers will be processing these as received so please send in your records when you have the chance. If you have any questions about how to send in your records, please feel free to contact us at info@fungimap.org.au.
Here are the 25 Most Common Fungi Recorded in Australia in 2013(Not including records made during the Fungimap 7 Conference in Rawson, Victoria. Details of these records can be found here.)
- Schizophyllum commune
- Pycnoporus coccineus
- Amanita muscaria
- Amauroderma rude
- Gymnopilus pampeanus (also known as Gymnopilus junonius)
- Lactarius eucalypti
- Armillaria luteobubalina
- Boletellus emodensis
- Amanita xanthocephala
- Omphalotus nidiformis
- Oudemansiella radicata
- Bolbitius vitellinus
- Cyptotrama aspratum
- Stereum illudens
- Stereum ostrea
- Coprinellus disseminatus
- Dictyopanus pusillus
- Gymnopilus junonius
- Macrolepiota clelandii
- Mycena cystidiosa
- Coltricia cinnamomea
- Hypholoma fasciculare
- Mycena interrupta
- Mycena kuurkacea
- Mycena nargan
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| The dark brown cap of Oudemansiella radicata contrasts against its white gills. Photo by Patricia Harrisson, CC-BY-SA. |
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| Lactarius eucalypti, seen commonly this year in both Victoria and Queensland. Photo by Paul George, CC-BY-SA. |
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| The genus Mycena was well-recorded this year in Victoria. This Mycena cystidiosa was seen during the Fungimap VII Conference in the Moondarra State Park. Photo by Bob Rowlands, CC-BY-SA. |
Recorders in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland have been busy, contributing the most number of records to Fungimap this year. Perhaps political upheavals in Canberra this year can be blamed for the solitary record received from the Australian Capital Territory and, sadly, yet another year has passed without any records from the Northern Territory.
As always, groups and passionate individuals make a huge impact on citizen-science efforts around the country, helping people to connect with other similar-minded fungiphiles and build skills in identifying and recording species. Over 70% of Victoria's records this year were submitted by the Fungi Group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and the Friends of the Westgate Park's fungi foray in July 2013 resulted in a great little list of fungi present in this beautiful sanctuary in Melbourne. The Queensland Mycological Society, co-organisers with Fungimap of the 2014 Queensland Fungi Festival in Brisbane, sent in 94% of the records from that state so far this year; the Fungi Festival in April 2014 will be a great opportunity to meet with members of this keen fungi group and get tips for starting a similar group in your area (Northern Territorians, we are looking at you!)
Individuals make a phenomenal impact as well, especially when they are able to cover a patch in an area of Australia where few records are otherwise received. Genevieve Gates and David Ratkowsky of Tasmania gave in to Fungimap the records they had been making for the past couple of decades, totalling over 55,000 observations! A singular achievement, and great role-models for Australian fungiphiles.
We were happy to see that 19% of records this year were accompanied by photographs, a steady increase over 2012's 15%. Photographs of key characteristics on the fungus, such as the gills/pores/gill folds, the stem, etc can be very helpful to our volunteers who attempt to confirm the determination of each record that is submitted before it is entered in the National Australian Fungimap Database.
Here are the Most Common Sightings in 2013 by State:
Victoria
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| Caps of Coprinus comatus turning to black ink at maturity. Photo by Malcolm McKinty, CC-BY-SA. |
Armillaria luteobubalina
Bolbitius vitellinus
Schizophyllum commune
Amanita xanthocephala
Lactarius eucalypti
Mycena cystidiosa
Stereum ostrea
New South Wales
Amanita muscaria
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa
Omphalotus nidiformis
Queensland
Boletellus emodensis
Pycnoporus coccineus
Coltricia cinnamomea
Trametes modesta
Lactarius eucalypti
Trametes hirsuta
Western Australia
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| Fragile branches of the distinctive slime mould Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa. Photo by Sarah Lloyd, CC-BY-SA. |
Fuligo septica
Gymnopilus junonius
Tasmania
Cyttaria gunnii
Ileodictyon cibarium
Poronia erici
Tubaria rufofulva
ACT
Fuligo septica
South Australia
Abortiporus biennis
Coprinus comatus
Morchella elata/conica
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| Pycnoporus coccineus, the second-most recorded fungus of 2013. Photo by Robert Bender, CC-BY-SA |
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| Cyttaria gunnii can be found growing on Myrtle Beech. Photo by Richard Robinson, CC-BY-SA. |
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| Fuligo septica is said to look like scrambled eggs, or dog-vomit. Photo by Lynn Alison, CC-BY-SA. |
