Now this is an interesting fungi!

It is called Gymnosporangium clavariiforme or more common “Tounges of Fire”. Around a month ago they popped up all around where I live.

The fungi infects a juniper to form the characteristic “Tounges of Fire” which spread spores. These need to land on a hawthorn as a second host. The spores produced on the fruit of the infected hawthorn then need to find a juniper again and the cycle repeats.

#biology #fungi #mycology #nature #naturephotography @mycology

  • musicmind333
    3•1 year ago

    @setnorth @mycology

    I remember seeing these on a recent local hike! My uneducated self thought it was some very strange looking fruit, only to be told that it was indeed a fungus. Very interesting

    • setnorthOP
      2•1 year ago

      @musicmind333 @mycology
      Didn’t know them either before this May, but got quickly invested in finding hawthorn around. Took me a while to find some, but now I am fevering towards hawthorn fruiting season to see the other stage of the life cycle 😅