Earthfan - Thelephora terrestris

Rosette-like fans have a reddish brown to dark chocolate brown upper surface, sometimes paler at margin and often with faint darker circular banding; petals splitting irregularly at the margin; covered in radial fibres; 6 to 15cm across, with individual petals 2 to 6cm long. The fertile underside is clay brown to mid brown or reddish brown; wrinkled but less fibrous than the upper surface. It has only a rudimentary, brown stem.

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Usually in areas of pine woods and other conifer plantations; it is sometimes found with broadleaf trees such as oak, birch and even willow; and, just occasionally this versatile fungus is seen on heathland.

July to November.

Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.