Fantastic fungi

DEAD MAN'S FINGERS If you go down to the woods today, you might encounter a weird and wonderful species Corpse-like, blackened, wrinkled, knobby fingers push up from the ground… Meet dead man’s fingers, seen in parts of North America and all over the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as Europe. Depending on when you spot this gruesome, inedible specimen, you may see variations in its appearance. When young, the ‘fingers’ are a pale bluish-grey with whitish tips, blackening as they age. Dead man’s fingers help break down decaying wood and, in the process, enrich that soil with nutrients that nourish the many invertebrates that dwell there. It’s usually found in three- to six-finger clumps at the base of dead beechwood. Though not impressive in size (typically 3-7.5cm in height), this mushroom does…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2023

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