We were thrilled to encounter a rare fungus - Artomyces pyixdatus - this October
Also known as the Candelabra Coral or Crown-tipped Coral, the species was thought to have become extinct in the UK, with no records in the entire 20th Century, until 2012 when it was found growing in Suffolk.
We were heading to some woods during a foray in Addington, Kent when ecologist Rhianna Dix spotted the spectacular fungus on a decayed tree stump. Not resembling more common Coral fungi, like Ramaria stricta, we posted a photo of it on the British Mycological Society's Facebook page and received comments from Sian Parry and Ali 'The Fungi Guy' McKernan that it could be the rare Artomyces!
The 2023 Kent find is thought to be only the twelfth recording of the species since 1886.
The observation has been submitted to iRecord, with a sample sent to the Fungarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew by the London Fungus Network.
Learn more:
Field Mycology journal
Image (C) London Fungus Network