| Identification Guide | |
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| Introduction New Zealand has an estimated 10,000 different fungi, of which only some 4,000 have been described. Of these only around 200 are show on this site. So don't be surprised if you can not identify the one you have. | Notes |
| It helps if you have made a spore print to determine the spore colour. | |
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 Agarics: (Gilled Fungi)Growing from the ground or rotting wood and sometimes from living trees. With or with out stalks. White spores.
Pink spores.
Brown spores
Black spores
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 Agarics: (Spine Fungi)Mushroom which have spines rather then the gills the spines can under the cap or the fungi it self can consist of spines. Sometimes a magnifying glass is need to see them. Can be found growing from the ground or rotting wood.
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 Boletes: (Pore Fungi)Mushroom with have pores rather then the more common gills.
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| Pouch & Tuberous Fungi: With or with out a short stalk, with no obvious way to release there spore. Relying instead on been eaten by insects which then spread the spore in there faeces. Some are brightly coloured others not so.
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| Puffballs, Earthballs & Earthstars Fungi: These fungi release there spores ether through a pore at the top or disintegration of the outer wall. Exposing sponge like interior.
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| Stinkhorns Fungi: Immature plants look like eggs as the mature the smell soon indicate were this group gets its name from. Many of which mimmic flowers with bright colours. Family: Phallaceae |  |
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| Birdsnest Fungi: Another group that is easy to identified by there appearance which are cup shaped which appear to contain eggs. Family: Nidulariaceae |  |
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| Club or Coral Fungi: A very difficult group to identify with out a microscope and a lot of experience. Found in a wide verity of colours and shapes from a simple club to a much branched structure. Growing singly or in small groups or clumps from the ground or less common wood. |   |
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| Polypores: Thin bracket like or typical mushroom shaped growing from wood. Spores are realised from pores which in most cases are to small to see.
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| Jelly Fungi: Soft jelly like fungi which come on a wide range of colours from transparent to yellow, orange and red.
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| Crust Fungi: Another group of fungi that are difficult to identify. It's easy to mistake immature bracket and polypore fungi as belonging to this group.
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| Cup Fungi: These come in a wide range of colours, some of which have short stalks. Size very from less then 1 mm to up to 100 mm.
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| Bracket Fungi: Fungi that grow from wood can be hard with pores that are to small to see or soft and fleshy with gills.
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| Fungi on insects: Many insects are attached then eventually killed by fungi. When I see these I always feel pleased I am at the top of the food chain. Family: Clavicipitaceae |  |
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| Hidden Forest | Forest Fungi | Site Map |  |