The Deceiver

The Deceiver. It’s such a great name for a mushroom. It’s has depth, a backstory and a certain presence. I love it.

It’s quite an unassuming fungus, though:

Here are some examples from Devon this autumn. It has a glorious red-brown cap and wide-spaced gills. It’s also incredibly variable, which I suspect gives it its name.

Here are some old photographs of them to show how they grow in profusion.

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They’re the perfect, “I wonder what that is?” mushroom, when you pick it and realise, “Oh, it’s a Deceiver.”

If mushrooms could be weeds, this would be the first to be recognised.