I went for a walk in the woods and found multiple fallen branches with this fairly long growth on them.

I assume that it is a fungus of some sort but does anyone have more info on what kind it is?

I found so many that I eventually stopped taking pictures of it. But I haven’t seen this before so I was surprised, as I spend quite a lot of time in the woods.

    • cosmicrookieOP
      392·
      10 months ago

      That is really surprising because it didn’t feel that cold. It’s actually +1C at the moment so did not even consider ice!

      • Madison420
        330·
        10 months ago

        It says in the article it can persist for days.

        • cosmicrookieOP
          322·
          10 months ago10 months ago

          Yes! I am not doubting it at all. I am just surprised at it being ice (even after reading the Wikipedia link)

          • shadmereEnglish
            330·
            10 months ago

            Though apparently only forms because of a fungus!

            • mihntEnglish
              550·
              10 months ago10 months ago

              If you can’t explain it or it’s weird as hell, it’s always a fungus.

              • faintwhenfreeEnglish
                80·
                10 months ago

                !The fungus shapes the ice into fine hairs through an uncertain mechanism and likely stabilizes it by providing a recrystallization inhibitor similar to antifreeze proteins!<

                I always find these interesting that we still haven’t figure out fungi fully.

      • WestwardWind
        50·
        10 months ago

        You should submit some of your photos to Wikipedia. They’re very clear compared to some of the handful in the article

      • Valmond
        10·
        10 months ago

        Probably because the mass is very low.

  • SharkAttak
    173·
    10 months ago

    You didn’t touch, did you?! Ooh god, I bet op did.

    I’m so sorry.

  • ani
    82·
    10 months ago

    I spend quite a lot of time in the woods

    Let me ask the real questions OP: what do you do in the woods?

    • cosmicrookieOP
      171·
      10 months ago

      It will be in the news soon enough…

      /s

      Just kidding. I just walk our dogs there (quite often)

    • cosmicrookieOP
      51·
      10 months ago

      Thanks! But I am even more happy to learn about this type of fungus-generated ice! Nature is wild!

  • 56!
    20·
    9 months ago

    I just saw this for the first time today, 11 days after seeing this post. A person I was with suggested it grew mostly on beech wood.