16 Most Bizarre Mushroom And Fungi Species In The World

With about 14,000 described mushrooms currently inhabiting dank forest floors, decaying tree trunks, and dung piles, there are bound to be some strange-looking varieties. Some depart entirely from the toadstool silhouette—the stereotypical rounded-cap-atop-a-stem set—with lengthy hairlike spines, fanning shell shapes, flower-esque pedals, and lattice designs. Others that lack uniqueness in shape are fantastic in their royal blue, indigo, and even bioluminescent colors.

Brain Mushroom (Gyromitra esculenta): Also called a false morel, brain mushrooms grow caps that resemble the shape of a brain and its sulci. Though most concentrated in Britain and Ireland, the obscurely shaped toadstool can also be found throughout Europe and North America. It's especially partial to growing in the coniferous woodlands of mountainous regions. They can sometimes be mistaken for true morels (hence the nickname) because they share the trait of irregular lobes. However, the impersonator has more lobes and none of the true morel's signature craterlike pits.