Advanced Search on the Fungi Index lets you narrow down the species by features you can see. It’s a useful starting point when you don’t know what you’ve found.
Opening Advanced Search
- Click Fungi in the main menu.
- Click Advanced Search to open the filters.
The Filters
- Cap: Cap Colour, Cap Shape and Cap Surface
- Underside: Gill Colour and Pore Colour
- Stem: Stem Colour
- Spores: Spore Colour (the colour of the spore print)
- Fruiting body: Colour, Shape and Surface, for fungi without a cap and stem, such as brackets, crusts and puffballs
Using Several Filters
Choose the features you’re most sure of first, then add more to narrow the results. Only species matching all your choices are shown. To clear a filter, set it back to its “All” option.
Tips
- Colours vary: fungi change colour with age, weather and handling, so try nearby colours if nothing matches.
- Start with the obvious: use the most distinctive features first.
- Think about age: young and old specimens can look very different.
If the Filters Don’t Help
- The species may not have its features filled in yet, as the data is still growing.
- Your specimen may not be typical.
- Try searching by name if you have an idea what it might be.