Kent Wildlife Trust is delighted that the rare fungus has been found at its reserve.

A rare and protected fungus has been found at a nature reserve in Canterbury.

The Hericium erinaceus, or lion’s mane fungus, has the highest level of legal protection in the UK due to its scarcity. Kent Wildlife Trust said it had been spotted by a visitor.

It is illegal in the UK to collect, uproot or destroy the fungus and anyone doing so could face six months in prison or a £5,000 fine.

  • Uranium 🟩@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    14·
    1 month ago

    I found one of these in Warwickshire, let my mycology society know, they collected a sample and it’s now in the fungarium in my local town museum.

    Apparently it was the first recorded instance of it in
    Warwickshire.

    It always makes me smile when I see news articles on it.

    • GreyShuckOPMEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      They are certainly edible and are considered to have a range of health benefits - but the commercially available ones will be farmed or collected elsewhere than in the UK. Even if anyone did feel like foraging for them in the UK - which would be illegal, of course - given how rare they are, there’s no way it would be commercially viable.

      • 🅷🆈🅿🆄🆁🆁🅻🅸🅽🅺@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        It’s a pretty common ingredient for vegetarian food; I’m just surprised that could be considered “rare and protected” in some other parts of the world.

        That thought just never crossed my mind, like if wild chickens were rare and protected, you know😀