Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

I ALWAYS feel sorry for students when they are told to explain the meaning of a fungus.

Firstly they are told that plants are green organisms which make their food from carbon dioxide, water and the green pigment chlorophyll using the energy of sunlight.

So far so good.

But then they are told about fungi.

No fungus contains chlorophyll so it's no wonder young naturalists are confused.

I would suggest we should classify living organisms into animals, plants and fungi.

This would clear up the mystery.

How, then, do fungi obtain their food?

They feed as parasites, eating the bodies of living animals or plants.

What we call athlete's foot is actually a fungal infection and many garden pests are really fungi.

Most fungi, however, including the edible mushroom, live on the dead, decaying remains of plants and animals.

This type of feeding is known as saprophytic.

November is an excellent month to study saprophytic fungi.

They are the main method by which nature recycles nutrients.

The fly agaric is one of the most beautiful organisms in the countryside. Its red and white caps are typical of the birch woods of North West England. This fungus is poisonous and in the old days the mushrooms were boiled in milk.

The resulting "death brew" was kept in the bedrooms used by people who were ill.

The potion attracted flies and killed then, them thus keeping the patient free from disturbance. The name "fly agaric" actually means "fly killer." Autumn is a great time to take your camera out into the countryside if it has a simple flash.

Many species are large, colourful and therefore easy to photograph.

Care should be taken because some fungi are poisonous but you don't have to touch them to get your photograph.

There is a good rule in the countryside.

"Take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.