The second part of this fungi’s latin/scientific name is Polymorpha, which means “many forms”, but this fantastic specimen found by Simon Carey on the Chevin is a perfect match with its colloquial name. It is in the same family as the truffle, and our example is the same colour, but it is inedible, and sometimes shades of blue or green. Unlike most fungi, it takes several months to distribute its spores – others are much quicker. It particularly likes the stumps of dead Beech trees.
Photo by Simon Carey