One ordinary morning, while watering my garden plants, something strange caught my attention. Among the grass, there was a kind of semi-transparent, shiny, gelatinous sphere that looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed something reddish and vibrant hidden inside. For a moment, I thought it was an alien egg, but the reality—though equally surprising—was far more natural and fascinating.
What I found in my garden
What he had discovered was a Clathrus archeri , also known as “devil’s fingers” or “octopus fungus ,” one of the strangest and most striking species in the fungal kingdom. In its initial stage, as seen in the photo, it appears encased in a gelatinous sheath , similar to a translucent egg. As the hours pass, the “shell” breaks open, and red or pink tentacles emerge, covered in a dark, unpleasant-smelling substance.
