Rare fungus

A rare fungus has been discovered at the National Trust for Scotland’s Craigievar Castle in Alford, Aberdeenshire.

Golden Bootleg or Phaeolepiota aurea, is a very distinctive, large mushroom with an obvious ring on the stem. The fungus can grow up to 18 centimetres high. It is thought to be rare in the UK, but is being found more and more in its favoured habitats of roadsides, parks and nettle beds as it likes moist, nitrogen-rich conditions.

Trust ranger Toni Watt found a large troop of the fungus under the cover of nettles while surveying for bats. Toni says: “Golden Bootleg is not that common in the UK, so I was surprised to find it at Craigievar. It is very distinctive and large, so is easily spotted though. This fungi is fairly unusual find, so we’d ask visitors to look, but not to touch.”

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