Suillus bovinus means Piggy Cow. It’s the scientific name of a common fungus of coniferous forests and commercial pine woods. They pop up everywhere you tread in the right habitat for them.
They have a parasitic fungus which grows with them, Gomphidius roseus, which I’ve never found. That means no matter how many times I see a Piggy Cow I still look closely at them on the off chance there’ll be a rosy coloured parasite growing near them.
Dead Man’s FingersIt's cold on Dartmoor but it's always worth making it to Fingle Bridge. I'm looking forward to a pint in… read more
A Red Belted ConkThere's the familiar orange-red band on this Red Belted Conk. Lovely, isn't it? Its scientific name is Fomitopsis pinicola. It… read more
Purple Curtain CrustI do love a good fungusy twig. Here's one with Purple Curtain Crust, Chondrostereum purpureum, rippling on it like a… read more
DeadlyHere's a fungus you should learn to identify if you're interested in foraging and eating wild fungi. It's the Deadly… read more
Orange Peel FungusOrange Peel Fungus, Aleuria aurantia, is unmistakable. Just look at it: I've written about it before, and posted beautiful illustrations… read more
Pine-cone BonnetThe Pine-cone Bonnet, Mycena seynii, is a beautiful fairy-bonnet cap which grows on pine cones. It's so beautiful I wish… read more