{"id":31874,"date":"2023-09-11T16:30:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=79128"},"modified":"2023-09-12T19:35:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T17:35:42","slug":"6-of-the-weirdest-fungi-in-the-world-from-dead-mans-fingers-to-zombie-fungi","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/6-of-the-weirdest-fungi-in-the-world-from-dead-mans-fingers-to-zombie-fungi\/","title":{"rendered":"6 of the weirdest fungi in the world, from dead man\u2019s fingers to \u2018zombie fungi\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fungi can be very strange. Here’s our round-up of some of the weirdest fungi on the planet. <\/p>

By Stuart Blackman\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 11 September 2023 at 14:30 PM<\/p>

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There\u2019s no doubt that fungi is rather odd.\u00a0 Neither plants nor animals, these organisms belong to a kingdom all of their own, filled with fantastically shaped and vibrant specimens that look like they have come from another planet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From one that looks like rotting dead fingers to another that can fire spores out at 90kph, and even \u2018zombie fungi\u2019, \u00a0here are our favourite weirdest \u2013 and strangest \u2013 fungi\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

6 weirdest fungi<\/h2>\n

Devil\u2019s fingers (Clathrus archeri<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
\"Devil's\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Smellu fungus-<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Octopus tentacles or demonic fingers? Either way, it would be a bit disconcerting to stumble upon these emerging from the underworld during a woodland stroll. Their putrid smell wouldn\u2019t help either.<\/p>\n

Clathrus archeri<\/em> is, of course, neither cephalopod nor demon. It is a fungus that goes by the common names of Devil\u2019s fingers and octopus stinkhorn, for obvious reasons. Introduced to the UK from the southern hemisphere a century ago, it is a rare sight here, fruiting between June and September. But if it is in your patch, it will be hard to miss.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dung cannon (Pilobolus crystallinus<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
\"Dung\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Pilobolus crystallinus \u00a9 Sava Krstic (sava) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Fungi aren\u2019t generally known for their speed, yet one species is quicker off the mark than perhaps any other organism on the planet, the Pilobolus crystallinus <\/em>or \u2018dung cannon\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

The spores develop in a microscopic bundle that sits atop a fluid-filled bladder on a stalk. The bladder expands until the internal pressure causes it to squirt out its contents in a powerful jet, propelling the spores away at speeds of up to 90kph.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Even more impressive is that they reach their top speed in just a few millionths of a second \u2013 a rate of acceleration exceeding that of a bullet shot from an AK-47 rifle.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Even though the fungi rarely reaches 5cm in height, this small organism can project its spores up to 200m away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n