An Post releases four new stamps dedicated not to politicians, tycoons, flowers or birds, but to indigenous Irish fungi, writes Claire O'Connell
IN THE 30 YEARS since An Post started their annual Flora and Fauna series of stamps, they have featured a range of Irish wild animals, trees, flowers, birds, beetles and butterflies.
But this year it's a little different. For the Flora and Fauna issues of 2008, they have chosen species that are neither flora nor fauna: this year, it's the turn of fungi, which grace a number of stamps released last week.
"Fungi are neither animals nor plants," explains Hubert Fuller, a senior lecturer at UCD's School of Biology and Environmental Science. "They form a separate kingdom comprising some 100,000 species described to date, although it is estimated that the total number of fungal species is probably circa 1.5 million."
Whittling down the selection of Irish fungi to a handful of species to feature on the stamps was a challenge, but the final tally highlights some important issues, according to Fuller, who worked closely as a mycological consultant with Brenda Dwyer, Secretary of the Stamp Design Advisory Committee at An Post.
"The four species illustrated on the stamps were chosen not only with artistic and design criteria in mind but we were also conscious of the biology of each fungus," he says.
Most fungi are microscopic, and the part we usually see is the reproductive structure, which often takes the familiar mushroom or toadstool format, explains Fuller. That's one of the reasons why the Parasol (Macrolepiota procera) made the grade for this year's stamps.
"The Parasol is very much the archetypal toadstool, taking its name from its shape, which resembles that of an umbrella," says Fuller, describing how the species is common from late summer through autumn on well-drained soils, and can form a circular "fairy ring".
Another successful contender for stamp status, the Orange birch bolete (Leccinum versipelle), made the cut in part because it exemplifies the important relationships that fungi have with plants, according to Fuller.
"The majority of land plants, trees, crop plants and grasses are dependant for their growth on symbiotic associations between their root systems and certain soil fungi. These mycorrhizal fungi are vitally important in providing nutrients that plants need for their survival, and the relationships are mutually beneficial - the fungus benefits from the products of photosynthesis, sugars, while the fungus provides nutrients such as phosphate for the plant roots. Many of the mushrooms or toadstools seen in autumn in Ireland are mycorrhizal fungi and the Orange birch bolete is a good example - as its name implies, it associates with birch trees in woodland and scrub."
Meanwhile, Fuller describes the Pink waxcap (Hygrocybe calyptriformis) as a "flagship species" of the waxcap group, which highlights the threats faced by fungi from habitat loss. "They serve as indicator species in nature, whose abundance and diversity reflect the status or health of important natural habitats," he says. "Waxcaps and associated fungi have seriously declined in numbers in Europe and are now on most red data lists."
The Pink waxcap, also known as the Pink ballerina because of its tutu-like appearance, has been recorded at fewer than 25 sites in Ireland, although more extensive fieldwork could reveal that it is more widespread, says Fuller.
And finally the Scarlet elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca) was chosen for a souvenir miniature sheet because it doesn't look like the typical mushroom we often associate with visible fungi.
A "cup" fungus, it explosively ejects its spores, which can appear like a puff of smoke, and unusually it appears earlier in the year, unlike most other fungi whose main season is autumn, notes Fuller.
As well as the four stamps, which were illustrated by Ian Loe, there are two first-day covers and three sheetlets, which can be bought from the An Post Philatelic Bureau. First Day Covers are available for purchase for 28 days from the date of issue (August 1st).
It's a limited issue, so the stamps will only be available in selected post offices in Ireland for about three months or until stocks run out, but they you can purchase them online or from the An Post Philatelic Bureau, GPO, Dublin 1 (Tel: 01-705 7400) or from the Philatelic Shop, GPO, for one year.