A cluster of giant mushrooms has popped up at Cockatoo Lake Recreation Reserve near Naracoorte in regional South Australia to the delight of residents.
The mushrooms are believed to be large boletes, Phlebopus marginatus, which are not commonly reported in regional South Australia.
Boletes are considered to be Australia's largest terrestrial mushroom and usually appear after soaking rains during autumn.
Padthaway resident Luke Leddy stumbled upon the spectacular mushrooms during a walk in a reserve.
"It is the first time I've seen the big ones. There are at least six there," Mr Leddy said.
While the giant fungi had been spotted in the south-east over the years, he said these mushrooms were amazing to see given their size.
"I didn't know much about them till I got home and googled them after seeing them. They can grow up to one metre wide," Mr Leddy said.
Mr Leddy visits Cockatoo Lake weekly looking for birds to photograph and had never seen these mushrooms before.
"I was curious to find why they have come up. I researched and found out that this large bolete can be found at any time of year following soaking rain," he said.
"They are commonly found in eucalypt forests as well as grassy expanses such as sports ovals and parks.
"When I first saw them I thought it was a pile of firewood left by campers."
He said his son realised first and yelled "they are mushrooms".
"We often search Padthaway Conservation Park for fungi so he was very excited," Mr Leddy said.
"The size of these was very impressive and different to what we usually find. The underside are sponge-like instead of the gills."
He said some of the mushrooms were at least 40 centimetres wide.
Edibility caution
Ecologist, author, and environmental photographer Alison Pouliot said it appeared the mushrooms found by Mr Leddy were Phlebopus marginatus.
She said they typically appeared in autumn as the soil temperature cooled and moisture levels increased.
"There are not many records for their distribution in South Australia, but that probably doesn't mean that they're necessarily rare, probably just under-recorded," she said.
Ms Pouliot said there were differing views whether these mushrooms could be eaten.
"Some people have reported eating them, while others have reported gastrointestinal symptoms after eating them. So it's hard to be definitive," she said.
Ms Pouliot has co-authored a guide for foragers called Wild Mushrooming.
According to Atlas of Living Australia, Phlebopus marginatus are typically found in forests of south-eastern and south-western Australia.
One specimen found in Victoria reportedly weighed 29 kilograms.
