Hydnellum Peckii "Bleeding Tooth"

@cryptomushii

At its best, this is a very beautiful fungus... but unfortunately it is rarely seen at its best and often grows embedded with plant stems and debris. Although variable in shape and colour, fruitbodies of Hydnellum peckii invariably have pinkish tones. Young caps are often (but not always) decorated with bright red liquid droplets that exude from the upper surface. Particularly attractive when solitary, the fruitbodies more often occur in small groups that merge and become fused at the caps and sometimes also along their stems.

They are mycorrhizae, which means they have a symbiotic relationship with vascular plants. In such cases, the fungus gets carbon dioxide from the host and the host in return gets better nutrient absorption as the mushroom converts amino acids and minerals into useable forms. Bleeding tooth fungus mushrooms are filled with mycelia, which spread throughout the forest floor. The bleeding aspect is thought to be a type of sap, which is forced out through the mushroom by excess absorption of water.