Elegant stinkhorn

Description:

This fungus is typically found growing on the ground singly or in small groups on woody debris or leaf litter, during summer and autumn in Japan, Europe, and eastern North America. The fruit body begins its development in an "egg" form, resembling somewhat a puffball partially submerged in the ground. As the fungus matures, a slender orange to pink colored stalk emerges that tapers evenly to a pointed tip. Flies and other insects feed upon the slime which contains the spores, assisting in their dispersal. Mutinus elegans has been shown to inhibit the growth of several microorganisms that can be pathogenic to humans.

Habitat:

My mulch pile; it popped up very suddenly and when I went back to take another look the next day, it had vanished without a trace!