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Not always the fruiting body of the fungus is a hat and a leg. Sometimes some specimens surprise with their uniqueness. These include a variety of ice hair, the Latin name of which is exidiopsis effusa. Also, this specimen is known as “frosty beard”, “ice wool”, “shaggy ice” and much more. Mycologists refer it to the Auriculariaceae family.
Where the ice hair mushroom grows
In the warm season, this instance is unremarkable
Frostbeard is a rather fleeting and rare occurrence that is not located on the surface of the bark, but only on wood. The formation of this fungus occurs exclusively between 45 and 55 degrees north latitude during cold and humid nights when air temperatures hover around 0 degrees. You can meet ice hair in deciduous forests on wet wood, it can be branches of trees of various sizes and species, dead logs, stumps, snags. This species is most common in the Northern Hemisphere. About 100 years ago, this specimen aroused genuine interest among scientists. Back in 1918, the German meteorologist and geophysicist Alfred Wegener discovered that mushroom mycelium is always found in the places where ice hairs form. After numerous studies, this theory was confirmed.
According to scientists, the appearance of ice hair is caused by three components: a porous substrate (rotting wood), liquid water and already frozen ice. This miracle of nature begins to grow only if there is liquid inside the tree. At a certain temperature, water near the surface of the substrate freezes upon contact with cold air, resulting in peculiar layers where the wood is enveloped in water, and above it there is a thin layer of ice. Gradually, all the liquid from the pores of the wood is absorbed by the ice and freezes. Such a process occurs until the moisture in the tree runs out. And since the pores of the wood are located at a certain distance from each other, the ice freezes in the form of thin hairs.
The study revealed that about 10 different types of fungi are located on the surface of the wood, but only ice hair spores are present on all samples. In addition, the researchers noted that in their absence, “ice threads” do not appear.
What does an ice hair mushroom look like?
This specimen is a type of ice that forms as a thread on dead wood.
By itself, the fungus is rather inconspicuous and inconspicuous, for the most part it resembles mold. In the warm season, there is a risk of not noticing it, passing by. Only those bizarre threads that appear at high humidity and a certain temperature produce a bewitching effect. As a rule, the length of one hair grows from 5 to 20 cm, and the thickness is 0,02 mm in diameter. Ice can form in “curls” or curl into “waves”. The hair is soft and brittle to the touch. By themselves, they are very fragile, but despite this, they can maintain their shape for several hours or even days.
Is it possible to eat ice hair
The shape of “shaggy ice” can be very diverse
This species does not carry any nutritional value, and therefore cannot be used as food. Most reference books classify ice hair as a group of inedible mushrooms. The facts of the use of this species are not registered.
Conclusion
Ice hair is a fungus that creates rather unusual “hairstyles” on tree branches. It is this specimen, as well as high humidity and a certain temperature, that creates such a masterpiece. This phenomenon is quite rare, most often it can be observed in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. The hairs retain their shape and structure, preventing the ice from melting for several hours.