Bleeding Tooth Fungus

As startling as it is beautiful, the Bleeding Tooth Fungus (Hydnellum peckii) stands out as one of our more unusual mushrooms.  When it is young, the fruiting body of this fungus “bleeds” red droplets. This phenomenon is called guttation—the secretion of droplets of water from the pores of an organism. When the soil surrounding the fungus is very wet, water is forced into the mushroom by osmosis. This creates pressure inside the mushroom, eventually forcing liquid through the surface pores of the cap and underside, carrying with it a deep red color from a pigment present in the flesh.

The blood-like “sap” is anti-bacterial and has also been shown to have anti-coagulant properties. It contains a substance called thelephoric acid which may be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. (Photo by Jody Crosby)

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