Mushrooms like something out of a horror movie in Polish forests. You have to be very careful with them

Kolczakówka piekąca

There are plenty of unusual mushrooms. Some can be collected and even eaten, while others pose a health hazard or are protected. Have you heard of the “devil’s tooth”? We will meet him in Poland.

The original mushroom in question is Hydnellum peckii. It is often called the bleeding tooth or the devil’s tooth. It is rare, but this season it can be found in Polish forests. People who often take part in mushroom picking should be especially careful. If you see an unusual specimen, you must follow important rules.

“Devil’s Tooth”. An unusual mushroom

What does the “devil’s tooth” look like? This mushroom is so characteristic that it is difficult to confuse it with something else. At first glance, it resembles a plant straight from a horror or fantasy movie. It may have magical and even threatening connotations. What attracts attention is its felt and spiky hat with a diameter of 3 to 10 cm. It is white in color and has red, protruding balls with blood-colored discharge.

In fact, the Stinging mushroom is a strictly protected species and an inedible mushroom. Consuming it would be extremely dangerous – the substance damages the kidneys. Just breaking up will result in a severe fine. The “devil’s tooth” is on the endangered list and in Poland it has been assigned the highest threat category E – critically endangered, which means that it may become extinct in our country at any time.

You have to be careful with this mushroom here

Foresters and even representatives of the Tatra National Park have repeatedly reminded us that we need to be careful with Kolczakówka Piekąca. A few years ago, a special photo with a description of the mushroom appeared on one of the Facebook pages. It was reported that it grows only where pine or spruce grows, because it lives in symbiosis with these tree species. It turns out that the fungus draws nutrients from the tree and in return provides it with water and essential inorganic compounds.

Therefore, you should watch out for the “devil’s tooth”, among others: in coniferous and old forests, among others in the mountains. We can recognize it not only by its appearance, but also by its characteristic spicy smell. It usually grows from the ground among moss, and less often from fallen, badly rotten pine cones. They appear alone more often than in a group. Interestingly, we can also come across it abroad. He has performed almost all over Europe and North America. Recently it has also been found in Korea, Iran and Argentina. If you see this specimen, take a photo from a distance and leave it alone.

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