In the winter wheat fields south of Lowestoft and elsewhere in the district, hundreds of agaric fungi have appeared seemingly overnight. The species has a fondness for arable fields and has a Latin name only. Volvariella speciosa it means from the volva ie volvic sac at the base of the stipe (stem) and speciosa comes from the Latin meaning handsome. It is a tall toadstool of some 6 inches tall and was once considered a rarity. My first records came form Ringsfield near Beccles in 1999, where a stubble field was literally covered in these and the farmer was tearing his hair out, worried it would contaminate his soil. I assured him that the fruiting bodies were harmless and he seemed to have been convinced. It is an edible species but can easily be confused with some of the very poisonous Amanita’s especially as Volvariella has a varied taste in habitats in which it grows.
I have no explanation as to why these toadstools suddenly appear on winter wheat fields and can only speculate that the farmers are using more organic fertilisers on which the mycelium can exist. I fully agree with the Latin translation of handsome, as it is a very tall and pretty species. Perhaps we should give it an English name after all. How about Handsome field Mushroom.
