‘Just Nature Being Nature’: What the Fungus Is This?

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently shared a gross picture of what appears to be a bleeding pile of goop. The pink-ish blob is sitting on the ground by a pinecone, and there are red bubbles of liquid oozing out of it from everywhere you look. Apparently, it’s a bleeding tooth fungus, and USFWS says it’s “just nature being nature.”

“The bleeding tooth fungus, despite its disconcerting name, is not actually bleeding,” USFWS wrote in the Instagram caption. “In moist conditions, this fungus secretes a red-colored sap liquid—a process called guttation.”

Charming. See it here:

The National Park Service (NPS) also recently posted about the bleeding tooth fungus. NPS adds that no one knows exactly why this unique fungus, also called devil’s tooth fungus or “strawberries and cream” fungus (OK, ew), secretes this gooey red liquid, which is a type of sap.

As to whether this atrocity is edible, NPS says it’s not toxic, but it’s very bitter. In fact, NPS says “it tastes like bitterness and regret.” So there you have it.

Do You Have Trypophobia?

The USFWS used its bleeding-tooth-fungus post to educate about trypophobia, a fear or aversion to seeing clusters of small holes of bumps. If seeing the bleeding tooth fungus made you feel very uncomfortable, you might join me in the trypophobic camp.

If you want to try a second test on yourself, see how this photo makes you feel: