Mushrooms are found almost everywhere in the world. Almost 14,000 specious mushrooms currently inhabiting dank forest floors, decaying tree trunks, and dung piles, there are bound to be some strange-looking varieties. Many of the most bizarre mushrooms on the planet are extremely elusive. Here’s something you probably didn’t know: fungi are the unsung heroes of tree and plant care. Here is the 20 of our favorite fungi facts.
Veiled Lady (Phallus indusiatus): While the dramatic lacy skirt of the veiled lady mushroom is what initially attracts the eye, this sophisticated fungus actually uses its cap to draw attention, too. It is coated in a greenish-brown slime that contains spores—and that same slime attracts flies and insects that help disperse the spores. The delicate Phallus indusiatus can be found in gardens and woodlands in southern Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia.
The Bearded Tooth Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus): The bearded tooth mushroom looks like a mop and apparently tastes like lobster. Known as the bearded tooth mushroom or the lion’s mane, the Hericium erinaceus is an edible, medicinal mushroom that belongs to the tooth fungus group, which are mushrooms that feature teeth-like ridges on the underside of their caps. Spores are also produced in the teeth before being released for reproduction. Interestingly, these ridges always grow perpendicular to the Earth
