Fungi that bleed, hiss, and “throw their hats” — we’ve foraged nine of the strangest mushrooms in the world.

Some might only recollect about mushrooms as a pizza topping , but the wide world of fungi is a much more stunningly bizarre — and sometimes visually upsetting — place than that .

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of certain fungi . Once ripe , they produce microscopical spore , like pollen , that may number in the billion to spawn .

Thousands of different varieties of mushrooms exist : eatable , medicinal , poisonous , hallucinogenic , and more . And they total in almost every colour and contour imaginable . From the mushroom that count like a bleeding tooth to the specie make out as devil ’s fingers that smells like rotten meat , these weird mushroom are indisputable to amaze — and disgust .

White Bearded Mushroom

baggis/FlickrThe bearded tooth mushroom looks like a mop and apparently tastes like lobster.

1. The Bearded Tooth Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)

baggis / FlickrThe whiskered tooth mushroom-shaped cloud search like a mop and apparently tastes like lobster .

Known as the whiskery tooth mushroom or the lion ’s head of hair , theHericium erinaceusis an edible , medicinal mushroom cloud thatbelongs to the tooth fungus radical , which are mushroom-shaped cloud that feature teeth - like ridges on the underside of their caps . spore are also produce in the teeth before being released for breeding .

Interestingly , these ridges always grow vertical to the Earth .

Hericium Erinaceus Weird Mushroom

The Fungi of CaliforniaHericium erinaceusis said to have anti-diebetic properties, among other health benefits.

The Fungi of CaliforniaHericium erinaceusis said to have anti - diebetic property , among other wellness benefits .

This mushroom species is usually retrieve bourgeon like a parasite from living , recently burn , or injured tree diagram in North America , Asia , or Europe .

While they are typically comestible , most of these outre mushrooms do n’t taste very good at all — except , apparently , for the whiskered tooth mushroom , which taste like lobster cooked in butter when wipe out untested and fresh .

Weird Mushrooms

Two species of weird mushrooms known as a Badger and One-Eyed Toad.

These swob - top - looking mushroom are thought to protect the nervous system , regulate line of descent lipoid levels , reduce blood glucose layer , and handle gastric exit .

Two coinage of weird mushroom-shaped cloud known as a Badger and One - Eyed Toad .

Some studies have also shown thatHericium erinaceuscan have a positive effect on increase serotonin levels and controlling depression .

Bleeding Tooth Mushroom

Magiczna KotlinkaAn incomparably creepy Bleeding Tooth mushroom.

2. The Bizarre Mushroom That Looks Like A Bleeding Tooth (Hydnellum pecki)

Magiczna KotlinkaAn incomparably creepy Bleeding Tooth mushroom .

The Bleeding Tooth is undoubtedly a bizarre mushroom species , and its appearance is also pretty unsettling .

Found in various parts of the populace andnotto be eaten , the body of a untested Bleeding Tooth mushroom-shaped cloud “ bleeds ” a pigment that contains anticoagulant prop , like blood thinner . old specimens are brownish colored .

Bleeding Tooth Mushroom

Will Brown/FlickrThough they might look juicy, these mushrooms are not to be eaten.

The gooey ruddy liquid state that phlebotomise out of this eldritch mushroom is in reality a sap of sorts . It ’s made by a mental process calledguttation , during which the grime surround the kingdom Fungi becomes very wet and is able to force pee into the root of the mushroom through osmosis . This creates enough imperativeness within the mushroom-shaped cloud that the liquid is nip out of it .

Will Brown / FlickrThough they might take care juicy , these mushrooms are not to be eaten .

situate in forested mountain areas within North America , Europe , Iran , and South Korea , Bleeding Tooth mushroom live symbiotically with the cone-bearing trees from which they grow .

Weird Mushroom Species

Manfred MüllerThough they might look juicy, these mushrooms are not to be eaten.

The trees provide the mushroom cloud with a set source of carbon dioxide while the fungus convert amino acids and land minerals into forms that the trees can more easily access for zip itself .

Manfred MüllerThough they might wait blue , these mushrooms are not to be exhaust .

When they ’re young , the bleeding tooth ’s airfoil is report in soft haircloth that make it seem to have a velvety texture . unluckily , these mushroom are rarely seen at their best , often find oneself imbed amongst plant stems and other woody debris .

Blue Indigo Mushroom Underside

Dan Molter/Wikimedia CommonsAn Indigo Milk Cap mushroom.

And though it might like strawberries and cream , this uncanny mushroom is incredibly bitter and is best not eaten .

3. Indigo Milk Cap (Lactarius indigo)

Dan Molter / Wikimedia CommonsAn Indigo Milk Cap mushroom .

TheLactarius indigomushroom dumbfound its name “ Indigo Milk ” from the blue milky liquid it exudes when cut with a tongue . This eccentric mushroom rise in North and Central America and is usually characterize by its silvery - blue coloring .

Although , as this freakish mushroom-shaped cloud ages , its coloring change to a grayer , greenish - blue .

Lactarius Indigo Mushroom

Wikimedia CommonsThis weird mushroom turns eggs green when cooked together.

Wikimedia CommonsThis weird mushroom cloud turns egg green when cooked together .

Indigo Milk Caps grow either scatter or in groups , on grime or oakwood or pine . They ’re most ordinarily base from July through October , and like many other fungi on this list , they have a symbiotic relationship with the tree from which they often sprout . Their preferred trees tend to be oak or pine .

Because of this bizarre mushroom ’s vivacious pigments , it ’s also been known to be used as a dye for textiles .

Weird Mushroom With Blue Gills

Plaidbird/TumblrIndigo Milk Caps will turn green when cut and oxidized.

Plaidbird / TumblrIndigo Milk Caps will turn gullible when tailor and oxidized .

Not only are these weird mushrooms lovely to look at , but they are also excellent to eat . When tote up to scrambled eggs , the mushrooms will turn them green .