A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Aseröe rubra
The charmingly named stinkhorns are a type of fungus that uses the smell of rotting meat — or worse — to attract flies in order to spread spores. This one is an anemone stinkhorn or starfish stinkhorn.
In wood chips along street easement
Each photo captures a different fruiting structure. There were some unopened buds that I missed because of camera battery failure. I can add them later. The bud is seen to dissolve or split its skin before the fungus emerges. (pic 6)
Spotted on Jun 13, 2012
Submitted on Jun 13, 2012
28 Comments (1–25)
Omar, you can see that each image is a different stinkhorn. They have all been partially damaged in different ways over time but I didn't cut any or even touch them.
Why did you cut it
Don´t worry about that!
This is an incredible example of life, and I´m proud of the nature(as usual)!
Thanks Braulio Alejandro Rivas Tapia.
I'm still not sure if I'm fascinated by these, or disgusted.
I´m having a nigthmare tonight
:D
Thanks Maria. This is one colony of fungi and they are still fruiting after four weeks, even though each fruiting body survives only a few days.
wow. this is really interesting. great shots. thanks for sharing.
Added pic #6 showing the bud skin dissolving or splitting before the fungus emerges.
Wouw....
Thank you for your comments. The stinkhorns are so mysterious and grotesque. I like your spotting too pouihi.
Wow, interesting!
Wonderful spotting
Too cold. I think you should take one home and warm it up.
I've added a pic #5 of the unopened bud. I did not notice much odor from these stinkhorns yesterday.
Argybee, I found your green cap :) and me without a camera :( The median strips often have lots of added wood chips and that must be a factor.
Maria thanx for your comment.
interesting series!
Lucky for her she's been told to avoid fungi. I notice it's on a median strip. I'm amazed at what we can find on the wide ones with a good mix of plants. The octopi are well finished.
Leuba, so now I've got to go and smell it? You'll find my pin location very accurate if you want to imbibe personally. I will return hopefully for the several buds to offer fresher specimens. BTW I never found any more of Argybee's octopi http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/113...
Martin, this is fantastic- definitely alien -looks like it has a direct connection to the centre of this planet. Great spotting and photos! - I was looking forward to your description of the smell, though...
oh Shanna B - you crack me up !
Look at the brown slime on that third shot, that's disgusting. The first stinkhorn I ever found (which wasn't that long ago) smelt so bad I thought I had found a dead thing. When I spotted the fungus, I actually entertained the thought that I had found a dead body and the fungus was its horrid rotting finger sticking out of its shallow grave.
Fabulous find martin. I agree this looks truly awful. You must have been thrilled.
Day Of The Triffids remake.... ha!!!! : D
Thanks megs and Shanna. No comments about triffids please. http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thege... I didn't take notice the smell (bad science) because the visual is traumatic enough.
It looks like some sort of alien. Did it stink badly?
Well said Cindy, horrifyingly beautiful! They are gorgeous but gross at the same time!