Looks scary from the outside, this mushroom shaped like a zombie hand also carries a deadly toxin.
Just hearing the name “Deadman’s Finger Mushroom” is enough to make people fall off. This fungus is about 3-10 cm high, 2.5 cm in diameter, hard body, round head and usually grows in spring in decaying trees.
In particular, its peculiar shape reminds us of the moldy black fingers, losing all life of the zombies in the grave.
Its peculiar appearance reminds us of the ghastly fingers of a zombie in the grave.
This mushroom is about 3-10 cm tall, 2.5 cm in diameter.
The scientific name of this fungus is Xylaria polymorpha. Despite its strange appearance, this fungus is quite useful, they use the yeast system to break down organic matter, dry branches and leaves of plants into humus, minerals, complex organic substances into substances. simple substances, especially those that are difficult to break down such as cellulose, lignin into inorganic substances. At the same time, it can assimilate simple substances into complex substances that increase soil fertility.
It’s like a zombie hand emerging from the ground.
When in its early stages, this fungus has a white head that is exactly like the part of a human fingernail. But at the end of its life cycle, the dead human finger fungus turns black and gradually rots. In particular, this stage it contains toxins capable of “killing”. So, if you see them, it’s best to stay away from them.
The important thing is that they don’t only grow in the forest, but can also appear in the garden, any wet place like rotting trees, hiding in moss, under rock crevices… So please take care. Be careful and watch out for small children who can get close to and be poisoned by this scary fungus.
Their bodies can be white, gray or blue. At the end of their life cycle, they turn black.
In nature, there are also many types of mushrooms with strange shapes. Can mention Clathrus archeri, devil’s finger mushroom or octopus dog mushroom. Once mature, their body will have from 4 to 8 branches that radiate like fingers and turn bright red and take the shape of a demon’s hand.
Australians call them corpse hands. In addition, they also secrete substances with the smell of rotten meat to repel animals, birds and attract flies, so even though the fungus is not poisonous, they are “shunned” by creatures.
The devil’s finger mushroom has an equally horror shape.
The people of Australia give it an equally spooky name: corpse hand.
