Sandy stiltballs are fungi rarely found in Britain, known only in two locations on sandy soil in south Shropshire.
They look at first sight similar to a standard mushroom/toadstool. But at the top of the stem there is a spore sac rather than a cap with gills or pores: they are more like a puffball on a stem.
On a recent visit to the sandy bank which is one of the Shropshire sites, I could only spot a lone active fruiting body alongside the relics of a taller old one. Perhaps this summer’s weather conditions have discouraged growth. Or maybe they were harder to spot among the denser than normal mass of grass and nettles on the bank.
