Five Freaky Fungi

(FROM SCIENCERAY)

http://www.scienceray.com/Biology/Botany/Five-Freaky-Fungi.740519


Five Freaky Fungi
by s hayes, May 31, 2009
Five examples of freaky fungus.

Bleeding Tooth Fungus – (Hydnellum peckii)
Bleeding tooth is an inedible salmon pink fungus – often found under conifers. The spongy body exudes droplets of red fluid which contains a mushroom pigment called atromentin which has anticoagulant properties

Bioluminescent Mushrooms – (Mycena asterina)
Some mushrooms emit light 24 hours per day – the luminescence is only visible at night. Around 65 separate varieties of mushrooms are known to be “glow in the dark” – however scientists are puzzled as to why they have developed this ability – what advantage it may offer to a species.

Stinkhorn Mushroom – (Phallales)
The photographs are of a stinkhorn and a netted stinkhorn. As their name suggests, this variety is known for the foul smelling sticky spores on the tip. The “dung” smell attracts flies and other insects which then spread the spores.

Giant Puffball – (Calvatia gigantean)
The giant puffball can grow up to 70cm diameter – they are edible and supposedly very tasty (whilst the flesh inside remains white) the inside of a mature puffball is a brown/green colour.

Coral Tooth Fungus – (Clavaria)
This fungus is often found in very old and mature forests, only some varieties of this species are edible, but only when the plant is young and spongy – as it gets older, the flesh turns woody and fibrous – but reports are that the fungus has strong laxative effects.

REMEMBER - Never eat a mushroom or fungus if you are unsure of its variety....Recite this old adage

There are old mycologists

There are Bold Mycologists

But there are no old bold mycologists