Written by West
Clathrus archeri - Octopus Stinkhorn
Image: A photograph of Clathrus archeri, a fungus with red octopus-like tentacles. Source: Steveb68 on Wikicommons
Originating from Australia these fungi have spread to Europe, North America and Asia, and can occasionally be found in the UK. They can be first noticed above ground in their "egg" form, already looking like something that's going to hatch into a horror movie monster.
Image: The white and red 'eggs' of the plant. Source: Holger Krisp - Wikicommons
When they "hatch" long red tentacles erupt from the ground, covered in a foul-smelling, spore-filled slime called gleba. The smell has been described as being like putrid flesh and it attracts flies who become covered in the gleba, dispersing the spores as they continue to fly around.
Hydnora africana - Jakkalskos
Image: The flower of Hydnora africana Source: Derek Keats on Flikr
These parasitic plants largely resemble the piranha plants from the Super Mario Brothers series of games, or the Langoliers from the TV miniseries by Steven King.
They attach themselves to the roots of Euphorbia succulents, leeching nutrients as they do not contain chlorophyll and are not able to photosynthesise. Most of the plant lives underground, the fleshy protrusion is its flower and is said to emerge from the ground after heavy rainfall. The flower opens up into three parts called sepals, connected by white threadlike structures, these are what look like teeth on the plant.
Image: The fully open flower Source: Botany.org
The centre of the plant smells like dung, which attracts dung beetles. While they are able to climb inside easily enough, the threads and the hairs on the inside of the sepals prevent them from climbing out. The plant doesn't eat these beetles, instead letting them pick or deposit pollen before opening after a few days.
Image: An illustration of the plant, showing its surprising depth. Source: Internet Archive Book Images
These plants produce a fruit underground which takes up to two years to fully ripen, it is described as similar in taste and texture to a potato. Each fruit has about twenty thousand seeds inside. They are often eaten by birds, small mammals and jackals. Their common name Jakkalskos even means jackal food.
Hydnellum peckii - The Bleeding Tooth Fungus
Seemingly bleeding through the surface of its cap, these striking mushrooms are a mycorrhizal species, having mutually beneficial relationships with coniferous trees.
Image: Close up of the bleeding tooth. Source: Darvin Deshazer at Mushroom Observer
The 'blood' they ooze is a type of sap caused by a process called guttation. Water in the soil surrounding the mushroom can be forced into the mushroom's roots through osmosis. the pressure this causes forces liquid through the surface of the mushroom, making it appear as if it is bleeding. This is only seen in younger mushrooms, and older specimens turn brown and are harder to identify.
Image: An older Hydnellum peckii. Source: Aleksandrs Balodis via Wikimedia
Actaea pachypoda - Doll's eyes
Image: A cluster of thin white flowers. Source: D. Gordon E. Robertson on Wikimedia
They don't look particularly special when they're flowering, but when the berries grow in late summer this plant changes into something really unique.
Image: The eyeball-like berries of the plant. Source: Rizka on Wikimedia
The white berries each have a singular black dot, this gives them enough of a spooky eyeball appearance without the swollen red stems giving a sense of blood vessels. The berries are toxic to humans, but are safe for birds to eat.
These definitely belong in some kind of horror film, it's easy to imagine someone inattentively walking past one of these while the 'eyes' slowly turn to watch them pass.
Aristolochia salvadorensis - Dutchman's Pipe
Image: A flower resembling a fleshy skull. Source: Kristine Paulus on Flikr
Sometimes known as the Darth Vader plant due to its resemblance to Vader's iconic helmet, these plants also resemble a flayed skull and have the smell of rotting flesh to match. The smell attracts insects that climb in through the flowers 'eyes' getting covered in pollen that they will spread to other flowers. These unusual blooms only last one week, and are highly toxic to humans.
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