Just google "Stinkhorn mushroom" and you'll find photos of lots of different varieties. I have no idea which this is.... could be the one called Devil's Dipstick, but I really don't know. The name just seems appropriate.
The mushroom emerges from a white rubbery "egg" buried in the soil or wood mulch, often known as "Witches Eggs", and grows 5-10cm tall, hollow, with a sticky dark gleba. This contains spores, and has a really bad smell... think rotting meat or vomit...... and attracts flies and other insects who love that sort of deliciousness.
These stinkhorns were growing in my son's garden. It was a damp rainy day. The next day was hot and sunny and they had shrivelled and dried up.
Those are the grossest mushrooms I think I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThose don't sound good at all. I hope you are well.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen these once. Very odd looking
ReplyDeleteNever seen before...Weird....
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day !
Anna
It does not take a great flight of imagination see why there are in the family Phallaceae and the common genus is Phallus!
ReplyDeleteHa, what Kathy said.
ReplyDeleteThese are fascinating...I think we have a lot to learn from mushrooms about life's impermanence and living boldly anyway.
I never heard of these before, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting in a grotesque sort of way . . .
ReplyDelete