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Project Noah Nature School
Aseroe rubra
It begins as a partly buried whitish egg-shaped structure 3 cm (1¼ in) in diameter, which bursts open as a hollow white stalk with reddish arms erupts and grows to a height of 10 cm (4 in). It matures into a reddish star-shaped structure with six to ten arms up to 3.5 cm (1½ in) long radiating from the central area. These arms are bifid (deeply divided into two limbs). The top of the fungus is covered with dark olive-brown slime or gleba, which smells of rotting meat. There is a cup-shaped volva at the base that is the remnants of the original egg.
Spotted in damp soils after a lot of rain. There was cluster of around 6 fungi, opening at different times.
The first native Australian fungus to be formally described
Spotted on Jul 24, 2013
Submitted on Jul 24, 2013
4 Comments
They certainly are! You'd be brave to touch them!
So odd but cool
Thanks jemma! Due to the fact that there were so many in one spot it was a case of smelling them before seeing them!
great find!