Cyttaria espinosae. Fruitbodies of the golf-ball fungus Cyttaria espinosae on living twigs of the southern beech tree Nothofagus obliqua, Valdivia, Chile. Being good to eat, these spectacular fungi and are collected each spring by local people, and can be purchased in local markets. Their golf-ball shape represents a remarkable adaptation to the windy environment of southern South America. The pitted surface generates air turbulence, preventing a build-up of static air around the fruitbodies, thus facilitating wind-borne spore dispersal. October 1985.
