VIDEO: Meet the Octopus Fungus

Mother nature is amazing and still leaves us baffled at times!

All we can do is sit there and look in awe at its wonders!

And while we sit there, speechless, we should think about the fact that we have to try harder to protect our environment.

Everything is linked to everything on this Earth, so take care of it!

According to yposts.com, Mother Nature is full of surprises. Meet the Clathrus archeri, a freakish type of mushroom also known as “devil’s fingers” — and when you see it, you’ll totally understand the nickname. Native to New Zealand, Tasmania and Australia, devil’s fingers looks more like an alien creature than any mushroom I’ve ever seen before.

Most mushrooms are produced above ground on soil, but devil’s fingers hatch from an egg-like sack — and the hatching process is equally fascinating as it is creepy.

According to its Wikipedia page, “the young fungus erupts from a suberumpent egg by forming into four to seven elongated slender arms initially erect and attached at the top. The arms then unfold to reveal a pinkish-red interior covered with a dark-olive spore-containing gleba. In maturity it smells of putrid flesh.” Ick.

Recently, devil’s fingers have become somewhat of a viral phenomenon; people are both engrossed and grossed out by the fleshy red “hand” with tentacles that emerge from its egg.

According to Tech Times, the octopus stinkhorn may look a lot like a marine cephalopod but it is actually an exotic fungus characterized by long red tentacles and a rancid smell. Its foul odor serves an important purpose: it attracts flies that help disperse the fungus’ spores, allowing the species to spread.

The fungus’ tentacles are initially white, and the fungus itself looks like a human hand. It will eventually turn into pinkish-red as it develops into an adult and its tentacles open up.

The octopus stinkhorn is an introduced species to Britain, where it currently spreads. It is native to New Zealand and Australia and was first discovered in the UK a century ago.

Experts believe the species made it to the UK inside the crates of military weapons that were shipped from the Antipodes to the South West during World War I. It can also be found in North America, particularly in California where it is known to have been introduced with exotic plants.

It is often found emerging in clusters from the soil with decaying wood, foliage and old tree stumps. While the smell can be comparable to that of decaying flesh, the fungus is not poisonous and does not pose any known hazard.

The octopus stinkhorn is, in fact, edible but due to its putrid smell and foul taste, it isn’t something that people would look for and serve for dinner.

It could be eaten, though, in extreme instances, such as when you get lost in the wilderness and run short of food. The unexpanded eggs of the octopus stinkhorn, however, which are characterized by their gelatinous nature, are considered a delicacy in some countries.