Darwin's fungus (Cyttaria darwinii), Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

Darwin’s fungus (Cyttaria darwinii), Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

Description

Darwin’s fungus is a parasitic, golf ball-like fungus that was named in honor of Charles Darwin, who collected it in Tierra del Fuego during his voyage on HMS Beagle in 1832. Darwin’s fungus belongs to a genus of highly evolved parasitic fungi that grow exclusively on species of Nothofagus (southern beech).