Mushiis in Motion: "Barbie Pagoda" Podoserpula Miranda

This nearly fluorescent, candy pink fungus species has been discovered in New Caledonia. Its fruiting bodies are also very unusual in their architecture, producing up to half-a-dozen caps diminishing in size from bottom to top, all emanating from a central stem that can reach 10cm in height. The "Barbie pagoda" fungus is an ectomycorrhizal symbiont forming sheaths around the roots of the oak gum, Arillastrum gummiferum. No closely related fungus species are known to be toxic, but the cotton-like fibrous structure and smell of radishes probably rule this out as an object of culinary attention.