What is neither animal, vegetable or mineral, was the question posed by David Harries, guest speaker at the meeting of Manorbier and District Gardening Club last Wednesday evening.
The answer? Fungi, which is classed in a kingdom of its own and varies from microscopic uni-cellular fungi, to those the size of dinner plates that we see on woodland walks.
With just a few more words from the excellent speaker, the evening became not just interesting, but colourful and fascinating.
We learned that fungi have a vast range of uses, such as the familiar yeasts for baking, brewing and winemaking. Moulds used to make antibiotics have developed far from the penicillin found by Sir Alexander Fleming. Statins used to control blood pressure, Cyclosporins as anti-rejection drugs are all developed from fungi. Moulds needed to rot down animal and vegetable matter are natures own recycling agents, dry rot is a nuisance for humans, degenerative fungi in the wrong situation.
Many fungi are delicious and important foods, from mushrooms to Marmite, but there was a stern warning to only eat fungi that are accurately identified as safe, many can be toxic.
The surprise and delight of the evening was the discovery of the vast range of colourful fungi to be found in grassland and woodland and even near beaches in Pembrokeshire. Most have been found and all recorded by the Pembrokeshire Fungus Recording Network. This county has the largest variety of fungi in the UK, as acknowledged by the British Mycological Society.
David Harries showed a dazzling photographic display of colourful fungi, the pretty Parasol Fungi contrasting with the black sinister Earth Tongues, which looked like thick black dead leaves and are known as the ugly sisters of the fungi world.
The computer display continued from Pink waxcap to Violet coral, from Scarlet caterpillar to the Willow Blister which grows in North Pembrokeshire, the only site in the UK probably in Europe. Some fungi were thought so attractive to the Victorians that they were used as table decorations, including the branch on which they grew.
To further interest in local fungi, we were advised to have with us a pocket nature book called 'Fungi' by Evans and Kibby, to help identification when walking.
This talk confirmed the reputation of the gardening club for engaging interesting and unusual speakers.
Visits are on the agenda for the summer. First will be to the newly-restored gardens at Upton Castle on May 15.
In June, there will be visits to Tredegar House in Newport and Dewstow Gardens in Magor, which are Grade 1 listed, featuring re-discovered grottos. July features a visit to Corseside gardens at Angle.
For information on these, or other activities of the gardening club, telephone the secretary, Lynda Parker, on 870149.
The club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.30 pm in Manorbier Village Hall.
New members and visitors are always welcome.
P.P.