Striking it licky: rare tongue-shaped fungus found for first time in UK

Blue-based earthtongue specimen discovered in West Sussex nature reserve is only second recorded in Europe The discovery of a rare, tongue-shaped fungus is being hailed as a sign of the crucial ecological value of England’s national nature reserves. Never before recorded in the UK, the blue-based earthtongue, also known as Microglossum cyanobasis, was found sprouting at the Kingley Vale national nature reserve in West Sussex.

It is only the second such specimen ever to be found in Europe. Liz Frost, an amateur fungus enthusiast who frequently visits the site, made the discovery. “I still can’t quite believe it,” she said in a blogpost on the Natural England website.

Frost had been looking for fungi in the ancient yew woodland at Kingley Vale in December when she “stumbled upon something extraordinary: a tiny tongue-shaped fungus poking up through the moss and leaf litter.

Little did I know, I had just made the first ever UK sighting of Microglossum cyanobasis, and only the second recorded in Europe.” At about 45-55mm tall, with delicate, fragile stems, specimens of the small, well-camouflaged fungus look just like their name suggests: small tongues emerging from the earth.

But Microglossum cyanobasis has a rare and special feature that distinguishes it from other, more common earthtongues: the base of the stem has a distinctive cyan-bluish tinge. “That’s actually where its name comes from – ‘cyanobasis’ meaning blue base,” said Frost.

“It’s this feature that sets it apart from other earthtongues. Earthtongue fungi can act as indicators of high-quality habitats… Finding them tells us that a site has real ecological value.” Natural England said the find was a reminder that careful stewardship of the environment could yield extraordinary results.

Rachel Guy, the manager of the Kingley Vale nature reserve, said: “The discovery of the earthtongue fungus shows off high-quality habitats and highlights the value of our 224 national nature reserves in England. “These special places of exceptional ecological value are a credit to everyone who looks after them.

The presence of the fungus signals undisturbed, nutrient-poor grasslands and long-established woodland soils. These environments are becoming increasingly rare due to fertilisation, drainage, ploughing, and land-use change.” Microglossum cyanobasis was first discovered in northern Spain in 2009.