Spider-eating fungus - that's what's in a name

“zombie” fungus, a “bloodstained” orchid and a strange snowdrop are among the plants and fungi named new to science, experts have said.

- with Sue Wilkinson

Eugenia venteri - fruit which tastes like banana mixed with guava

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and international partners have unveiled a list of the top 10 plants and fungus named for the first time last year, from the 125 new plants and 65 fungi they identified around the world.

The annual list highlights how much of the natural world remains to be described by science and how many of those newly identified are already threatened with extinction as nature losses accelerate, Kew said.

The top 10 plants and fungi described last year are:

1 Purpureocillium atlanticum - a spider-eating fungus from the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil.