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#FungiFriday
Ice Hair occurs when ice crystals meet a fungus called Exidiopsis effusa.
It grows on humid winter nights when the temperature is just below freezing.
The fibers can grow up to 8 inches long and are about the same thickness as human hair.
Scientists believe the process involves a "recrystallization inhibitor" provided by the fungus.
Chemical analysis suggests that as the fungus breaks down the wood, it produces complex molecules like lignin and tannin, which can mix with liquid water and stops the ice strands from bunching up.
The hairs form along the wood rays, not on the bark. Wood rays are cellular structures found in some wood species, and are perpendicular to the growth rings, radiating from the center of the log.
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