- Rare coral-pink fungus Russula blumiana confirmed
- Identification made possible through DNA
- Corporation urges visitors to protect fungi and follow Epping Forest byelaws
A rare mushroom, never before recorded in the UK, has been discovered in Epping Forest – the largest open space managed by the Corporation as a registered charity.
The striking coral-pink fungus – Russula blumiana – was discovered growing in the Forest, and with recent advances in accessible DNA sequencing has been definitively identified.
The species is extremely rare and this population in Epping Forest is currently the only known site in the UK.
The news comes as the City Corporation’s open spaces chiefs urge visitors not to pick or forage mushrooms due to their importance for biodiversity.
Rare fungi species are highly sensitive to environmental conditions and may only fruit once in many years. Indiscriminate picking – where all mushrooms are gathered and sorted later – threatens both common and rare species, reducing the chance for spores to spread and for associated invertebrates to survive. These invertebrates often depend on very specific fungi and habitats, meaning their lifecycles are closely tied to the presence of these rare species.
Since 2020, the City Corporation has issued 10 fixed penalty notices and 4 conditional cautions at £160 each. It has also carried out 9 byelaw convictions since 2021, totalling £2,268 worth of fines.
Chair of the City Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Caroline Haines, said:
“This extraordinary discovery underlines the incredible biodiversity of Epping Forest.
“Fungi are not only beautiful to look at, but they are vital to wooded ecosystems – helping trees absorb nutrients, supporting wildlife, and driving the natural processes that keep our Forest thriving.
“With a mushroom new to science discovered only last year at Burnham Beeches, this latest find in Epping Forest shows just how important our open spaces are for conservation.
“We’re asking visitors to enjoy fungi with their eyes and cameras only – never by picking. It is against Epping Forest byelaws to remove mushrooms or any natural material.”
The Corporation protects 11,000 acres of green space across London and the southeast, investing millions of pounds every year.
Standing at around 8,000 acres, Epping Forest and its buffer lands are home to roughly 1,500 species of fungi, among them many that are rare and ecologically important.
It is one of the last remaining examples of ancient wood-pasture in southern England and holds national and international conservation status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.
ENDS
Notes to editors
ABOUT THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION:
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile, dedicated to supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK – .
Geoffrey Kibby is an Associate Researcher for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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