Anthurus archeri

Hello everyone Ksenia and Maria are here We want to tell you about Anthurus archeri The Anthurus Archeri mushroom is popularly called “devil’s fingers.” Its  homeland is forests and meadows, less often sand dunes of Australia and New Zealand. Over time, the Anthurus Archer spread throughout Europe, California and Britain, but there it is less common and not universal. It is most widespread in Australia and New Zealand, but is also may be found almost all over the world, more often in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain, Great Britain, the Baltic, and Poland. It is mainly missing in Russia, so it is listed in the Russian Red Book, though in general this tropical resident was able to acclimatize well almost everywhere he went. Mainly the Anthurus Archeri lives in forests, on soils rich in humus and rotting fallen leaves, less often on sandy plains. The Anthurus Archeri mushroom  has a demonic shape and coloring. Red tentacles hatch from a white translucent egg. It grows in small groups or alone. Its structure consists of a thin outer covering (peridium) and a jelly-like inner layer. The mushroom grows, swells, and the peridium shell begins to break through. Then inside, in a transparent mucous cocoon, its terrifying purple “fingers” are already visible. The Anthurus Archeri has a porous spongy structure, covered on the outside with dark (black to marsh-colored) mucus (spore-bearing glebe), which emits the smell of rotting meat. Although it is not poisonous and not dangerous, it does not have any nutritional value for people. Its smell attracts insects and animals. The Anthurus Archeri reproduces due to flies carrying its spores. Once released, the blades wither rather quickly and fold back together. Then the devil’s fingers take on a creepy appearance, somewhat reminiscent of a human hand. Mycologists study the Anthurus Archeri fungus to deepen their knowledge of its featuries and its phylogenetic relationships with other species. Due to social media this fungus has become a popular subject for photography and research not only among mycologists, but also among numerous nature lovers. Its unique appearance and mysterious origin make it an appealing subject of study and discussion with the scientific community and general public.