A MUSHROOM enthusiast has said suitable habitats need to be maintained for fungi after a rare and legally protected fungus was found in Jersey.
The Bearded Tooth fungus (Hericium erinaceus) was spotted in Trinity this week by Islander Derek Jepson, who shared images of his find on social media.
Fungi expert Charlotte Shenkin said there was typically just one record per year of this species in Jersey.
“The Bearded Tooth fungus is exciting to see because not only is it extraordinarily beautiful, it is also nationally rare and protected by law in the UK from any disturbance or damage,” she added.
She explained that the fungus, which is also known as Lion’s Mane in the United States, requires specific conditions to grow and is usually found in very old trees with damaged or dead sections where the fungus can take root.
According to Mrs Shenkin, Jersey’s limited woodlands and tendency to remove decaying trees make suitable habitats for the Bearded Tooth scarce.
“Jersey is a comparatively small area, so suitable habitat is always going to be much harder to come by here,” she added.
She explained that the fungus, which grows in the decaying wood of “veteran” trees, can take decades to establish itself – which makes its survival dependent on preserving these older trees that might typically be removed to keep woodlands “tidy and safe”.
Mrs Shenkin, who also runs a local Facebook group for mushroom enthusiasts called “Jersey (CI) Mushroom Hunting”, said she hoped the discovery would increase awareness of rare fungi and encourage conversations around maintaining trees and woodlands with more consideration for fungal biodiversity.
However, she also warned that the Bearded Tooth faced additional threats from foragers due to unverified claims about its health benefits.
“There is currently no scientific evidence to support the hype and claims made about this mushroom, so the thought of people harvesting this extremely rare fungus in the wild is really concerning” she said.
“It’s touted as a magical cure-all for literally everything you can think of, which tends to be a sure sign that you’re hearing a marketing ploy rather than scientific fact.”
Although some fungi have medicinal value, she explained that “fungi with actual medicinal benefits, such as penicillin, are well-researched and become mainstream medicines.
She added that pilot studies into the use of this mushroom had not been as promising as the claims suggested.
