The Clathrus archeri, also known as the Devil’s Finger, is one of the creepiest specimens of fungus on the face of the earth.
Related to the stinkhorn mushroom native to England, the Devil’s Finger has a gelatinous egg stage from which the fruit body arises.
Once the fungus spores, four (sometimes up to eight) tentacles emerge coated in a foul smelling tissue, designed to attract flies and other insects that carry the spores away with them, helping the fungus reproduce.
Check of the video of the Devil’s Finger hatching, the last one in the group is magnificent!
It is possible that this fungus was some inspiration for the Xenomorph egg in the Alien franchise. There are similarities, and many ideas in film come from things we see in nature. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
You can check out an article I wrote on other horrific plants in nature by clicking here.
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