No one can accuse local councillor Trevor Hallett of not being a ‘fun guy’ when out and about on his travels, but this week the well known environmental enthusiast from Tenby spotted another kind of ‘fungi’ in his home town.

Clr. Hallett indentified the Geastrum triplex - an inedible fungus which is more commonly found in the detritus and leaf litter of hardwood forests in many parts of the world, sitting in earth alongside Greenhill Road, just below the town’s library, on Monday morning.

Like all mushrooms, the fruit body of the Geastrum triplex is the visible part of a larger organism, and it has the largest fruit body of all the earthstar mushrooms, created when environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability are optimal.

The onion-shaped fruit bodies are usually found growing singly or more commonly in groups in hardwood forests where much humus has accumulated, and are often found around well-rotted tree stumps.

“It is quite a rare fungi to find in these parts, and I’ve certainly never spotted it in Tenby before!” said Trevor, who was set to report his findings to local mycologist, David Harries, and Trevor Theobald, ecologist for Pembrokeshire County Council, who will record the discovery to reference where the fungi was found.