Did you ever hear about Mushrooms That Look Like a Brain? If not, read this article to spruce up your knowledge of mycological marvels!
Mother nature’s wonders are endless, and mushrooms that look like a brain stand out as a prime example. These mushrooms are a fascinating subject for both amateur and professional mycologists.
Mushrooms That Look Like a Brain
1. Jelly Drops
Botanical Name –Â Ascocoryne Sarcoides
This mushroom has a gelatinous, lobed structure that looks quite similar to the human brain’s convolutions. Its purple or pink hue adds to its brain-like appearance.
2. Leafy Brain
Botanical Name –Â Phaeotremella Foliacea
Leafy brain fungus mimics the brain’s cerebral cortex with its intricate clusters of flattened, wrinkled lobes. Its gelatinous basidiocarps are brownish or dark brown in hue.
3. Common Stinkhorn
Botanical Name –Â Phallus impudicus
The convoluted and wrinkled texture of its cap looks similar to the brain gyri at the immature stage. This mushroom is also popular among botanists for its penis-like appearance.
4. Wrinkled Thimble-Cap
Botanical Name –Â Verpa bohemica
The wrinkled and ribbed folds of its cap bear an uncanny resemblance to the gyri and sulci of a human brain. This mushroom features a pale yellow or brown thimble-shaped cap.
5. Snow False Morel
Botanical Name –Â Gyromitra Gigas
With intricate folds and lobes, this mushroom resembles the cerebral cortex of a human brain. It’s called the false morel because of its appearance and habitat similar to the true morel.
6. Witch’s Butter
Botanical Name –Â Tremella mesenterica
This jelly-like mushroom mimics the brain matter with its yellow multilobed gelatinous mass. It can grow up to 3-4 cm high and 2.5-10 cm wide on decaying wood.
7. Brain Puffball
Botanical Name –Â Calvatia Craniiformis
Aptly named, brain puffball has a lobed surface with intricate folds and bulges just like a human brain. It was used by the people of China and Japan in folk medicine.
8. Brain Morel
Botanical Name –Â Morchella rufobrunnea
Brain morel is another mushroom that looks like a brain because of its unique, convoluted cap with ridges and grooves. This fungus thrives in disturbed soil or woodchips used for landscaping purposes.
9. Carolina False Morel
Botanical Name –Â Gyromitra caroliniana
Gyromitra caroliniana features irregular ridges across the cap, mimicking the convolutions of a human brain. It can grow up to 5.9 to 7.9 inches tall in the southeastern United States.
10. Cauliflower Mushroom
Botanical Name –Â Sparassis crispa
This edible mushroom displays densely packed, flat, and curly lobes that look similar to the brain’s folded structure. It also resembles lasagna noodles in shape and appearance.