The location of Britain’s rarest fungus is being kept secret to protect it from foragers.
Hericium Erinaceus is also known as Lion’s Mane due its appearance.
It is believed to have medicinal properties which are thought to ease conditions such as dementia.
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The legally protected species was found growing on a tree at a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve near Canterbury.
The fungus, which is about the size of a football, will play a vital role in the woodland’s ecosystem.
It will break down the wood it grows on to create nutrients for other organisms like invertebrates before perishing into the soil where plants reabsorb it.
To protect the rare find being harvested by foragers Kent Wildlife Trust is not releasing the name of the reserve where it was found as it is a legally protected species.
Under UK law, it has been awarded the highest level of legal protection and is one of only four species of fungi listed under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
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It is illegal in the UK to collect, uproot or destroy the fungus and anyone doing so could face six months in prison or a £5,000 fine.
Conservationists were excited by the find as reported by What’s The Jam.
Kent Wildlife Trust area manager Ian Rickards said: “This is a really interesting find and we are delighted that our reserves are being enjoyed by wildlife lovers who are uncovering a treasure trove of biodiversity.
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“We are always excited by these finds and encourage people to report them to us so we can get an even better understanding of the ecology of our reserves.”
Rare fungi have been spotted elsewhere in Kent in recent years.
Last November a sighting of the rare Candelabra Coral was found in Addington, near Maidstone, with a further sighting reported in September this year after a wildlife enthusiast found it growing in Dunkirk, near Faversham.
