forest mushrooms
Squids, stars and corals: what whimsical mushrooms grow in our forests
(Almost) every child knows toadstools, mushrooms and porcini mushrooms. There are all kinds of strange representatives in our forests. We profile the most bizarre mushrooms and explain why they look the way they do.
Perhaps one of the strangest mushrooms in our forests is the squid mushroom. Its pink to red fruit body is reminiscent of the tentacles of an octopus. It gives off a strong carrion odor that attracts flies and dung beetles. They feast on the rosy pulp and also pick up the adhering spores. The squid fungus originally comes from the Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia) and was introduced to Central Europe from there at the beginning of the 20th century