Onygena equina Horn Stalkball

An ascomycetous fungus that forms spectacular colonies of small, white, stalked fruiting bodies on hooves and horns. The spherical heads are covered in a white powdery mass of chlamydospores which, when dispersed, provide a means of asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction results in the production of ascospores which are formed inside the fruiting body. It is perhaps most striking when it's found growing on the skull of a ram, where the fruiting bodies cover the horns. It has the ability to break down and assimilate the keratin protein that makes up the structure of the horn, but it doesn't grow on the bone of the skull. Keratin is widespread in nature, found in hair, nails and spines as well as horns and hooves, and there are are number of fungi that have the ability to break it down to amino acids which provides them with a nitrogen-rich organic nutrient. Another species. Onogyna corvina, grows on the fur and hair remains of small mammals that are found in owl pellets. Onygena equina is very uncommon, largely because the substrates it requires are rarely available. There has only been one record of it in West Glamorgan in recent years.