‘Alien’ fungus that smells like rotten flesh spotted in UK

An amateur lensman was spooked by an alien-like fungus that resembles a manus reaching retired from a grave.

The agleam reddish fungi is known arsenic Devil’s Fingers owed to its spindly tentacles that protrude from the ground.

It gives disconnected a rotting flesh-like odor to pull flies and insects which it feeds on.

It is usually recovered successful precocious October but has appeared aboriginal owed to the bedewed weather, and Julia Rosser stumbled crossed the uncommon show successful the New Forest, Hants.

Mrs Rosser, 67, a retired teacher from Bournemouth, said: ‘I person recovered Devil’s Fingers successful astir the aforesaid country past twelvemonth truthful I was connected the lookout for them.

‘They burst retired of the crushed with these reddish tentacles oregon fingers. This 1 looked much similar a manus than immoderate I person ever seen before. It looked similar it was reaching retired from beyond the grave. It looked precise creepy.’

The fungi is autochthonal to New Zealand and Australia and is believed to person been brought to France during the First World War successful subject supplies.

They archetypal appeared successful the UK much than 70 years ago, but sightings are uncommon and they are a sought-after find among mycologists.

The agleam reddish fungi emerges from partially-buried pick coloured eggs and tin sprout betwixt 4 to 8 agleam reddish tentacles oregon fingers.

They besides spell by the sanction Octopus Stinkhorn arsenic it tin springiness disconnected a rotting flesh-like odor to pull the flies and insects it feeds on.

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