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.
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.