Now I'm disgusted. Yes, one of those GROSS, aLiEN forms have erupted in MY beautiful, tropical yard. With it's strange form, bright color, spongy flesh, bumpy texture and slimy dark muck, it arose from the depths overnight. Not one, but TWO! WHAT are they doing here? HOW did they get here? WHAT ARE THEY?!?!?!?!?!
If you've never seen it before, meet the STINKHORN fungus that has taken up residence in my garden.
Overhead, aerial view of the Clathrus Columnatus Stinkhorn Mushroom.
I think this is a portion of the egg sack that it erupts from.
This form has COLUMNS...others have arms or appendages that don't connect.
This one looks like it's newly "hatching".
Not sure if it's appendages will connect at the top or not.
Another view of the baby shroom.
Apparently, these distasteful things are spread by flies who are attracted to their stench and dark slime. ICK!!!
They're a bit interesting as they come in a variety of forms. Some look like sea creatures while others resemble a wiffle ball or even a part of the male anatomy. Bizarre!
Honestly, this is one mushroom that I'm not fond of or attracted to in any way, shape or form. I would be very pleased if it would leave and not come back. I would write more about it, but really am not inclined to do so. Therefore, if you'd like to read more about it and view more distasteful photos, I'll provide a couple of links I found while researching this unwelcome guest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallaceae
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/stinkhorn_fame.html
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Mushrooms.Folder/Stinkhorns.html
I hope I NEVER have to blog about this alien form again!!
22 comments:
Poor maligned Stinkhorn fungus :P I've actually not seen any Stinkhorn here...yet, despite doing a series of Mushroom Monday posts all winter. I was sure at least one would show itself. I agree that some of them are rather nasty, but some species are strangely beautiful in their own way. However, I hope your intruder beats a hasty retreat, and returns your garden back to its original state. I vote that the oleander sent this Stinkhorn to you out of spite :P
Those pics gave me the creeps! I love it! (Getting creeped out, not the stinkiness!)
I guess after I saw the pictures, I should say I am glad I haven't seen this in my garden yet (knock on wood)! :)
Wow....I am quite speechless, which does not occur very often ;^) I do hope they decide to leave your garden.
I don't have those, but I do have puffballs, and not the kind you can eat either, darn it. I also had that orange string fungus in my mulch last year...ewww!!!
geez that's just creepy ...
Hurry get the lawn mower and put them out of their misery ..lol
hugs, Cherry
Those stinkhorn can be a problem. My daughter had them in her front beds right next to the front door. They aren't named STINKhorn for nothing. They have come back 2 years in a row. Hope yours do not. YUCK.
OMG !!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK !!
I thought this was going to be a joke post Kimberly but Holy Hi-jinks Batman !!
eeuuuuwwwww ! No wonder you were put off with writing any more about it .. too gross to think of .. but it was funny , especially the first picture ;-)
Joy
PS .. Hope ET GOES home ?? hahaha
May I utter a squeaky, high-pitched, very girly, EW??? Most mushrooms and fungi are cool to me, but I'd be afraid to even go near that one O_O
The first picture looks like something from outer space.Interesting life forms!
EWWWWW! Fungi creeps me out too!
Those are pretty gross, just a little too slimy. Hopefully they'll be gone soon and you won't find more.
You made me laugh. I just started to appreciate the mushroom around my GA woods. Last summer we had record rainfalls and the woods came alive with them, things I had never seen. It was like an alien world.
You're pretty funny! ~ks
But it is interesting in its own way and probably serves some great purpose. I think it would be most hard to move from the midwest to Florida and learn to garden all over. You are doing great despite new and icky things showing up:)
Hi Kimberly! I lived in Florida for 17 years and never had a single Stinkhorn fungus visit my garden. Not sure how I managed that. Yours is quite...um...unique in its visual design. Heh. Yeah, I'd probably want it to move on as well. But it's definitely blog-able. Great entry. :-)
Very weird and amazing! Lucky you! LOL
I think these mushrooms are AWESOME. But then, I love the offbeat and odd.
I photographed some French Stinkhorns, here:
http://howsrobb.blogspot.com/2008/11/fungus-among-us.html
Maybe it's just me being a guy, but those things are cool! They would be good friends with my Stapelia gigantea when it is in flower. Great pictures!
Kimberly,
Never encountered stinkhorns before. Kinda cool but maybe not in your yard. I found an earth star in our garden yesterday a very cool fungus, been finding them for years now.
Hahaha... I love stinkhorns! I figure they don't stick around long so I'll put up with the carrion stench for the sake of novelty. :)
I also think it is funny their scientific name is Phallus. (Phallus impudicus in particular cracks me up!) Men get all the nasty smelling things named after them (see also -- Amorphophallus...)
;)
Yes, I had one of those in my garden a few years ago. It came in a mulch that I ordered by the truckful. It was huge and very interesting looking...
Post a Comment