ID Keys

There are a number of different types of keys for identification but all ask a series of structured questions about your fungus to narrow down the possibilities.

Keys are available to determine genera and species. Some are specific to a particular group of closely related fungi and others are restricted by location or habitat.

There are extremely few fungi found in Scotland that do not appear in keys prepared for UK (e.g. British Fungus Flora) and Northern European species (e.g. MycoKey and Funga Nordica). One can safely use the keys produced for these geographic areas in order to get a definitive identification. Keys for the fungi of North America are also very useful (e.g. 'A key to gilled mushrooms in the Audubon field guide').

We recommend checking out the BMS online key archive. More in-depth information can be found in the mycological litterature. CYBERLIBER is an excellent starting point to find and access a large amount of information.