You want to know what I do when I have a really bad, awful, terrible day? (…) I imagine my great-great-great granddaughter in the future talking to her class about me. She’s poised and funny, and tells people about me and how everything worked out in the end. And when I think about that, I think about how everything’s going to work out. Because how else could she tell people?
A strange fungus called devil’s tooth (Hydnellum peckii) excretes a red “juice” that’s sure to catch your eye—but don’t worry, it’s not blood! When the devil’s tooth is moist, it oozes droplets of the liquid. But this only happens when the fungus is young—as it grows, it turns brownish and stops secreting the jarring red juice. Believe it or not, this “bleeding” mushroom is not toxic! It is, however, mycorrhizal. This means it has a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a plant (in this case, coniferous trees), helping to provide nutrients while deriving carbohydrates produced from photosynthesis. Photo: Bernypisa
