Thanks to Denis who has supplied the name - Dictyophora multicolor. He has also posted some interesting links. Well worth a look.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Fungi
Denis has posted some fascinating photos of a Starfish fungi which is part of the much larger group called "stinkhorns". His post made me go hunting back through photos taken some years ago with my first digital camera - a Kodak P&S - which I had a lot of fun with. I was told that this strange looking fungi was also a "stinkhorn" but I know nothing more about it and have not seen anything similar since then. I had just put down my first load of bark chips for mulch and thought that possibly the spores had come in on that. Any information, please? (Click to enlarge)
Thanks to Denis who has supplied the name - Dictyophora multicolor. He has also posted some interesting links. Well worth a look.
Thanks to Denis who has supplied the name - Dictyophora multicolor. He has also posted some interesting links. Well worth a look.
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Hi Mick
ReplyDeleteYour Stinkhorn is one of the few which really earns the name on all counts. Mine look like severed arteries, not "horn" shaped.
Yours is called Dictyophora multicolor
The ANBG (Botanic Gardens - Canberra) site I linked to under Gasteromycetes in the text of my article has a good photo and description of their structure.
.
Google image Search under the specific name brought up another photo from Brisbane, from a Catchment Group there, under the name of Bridal Veil Fungus
I have never seen such a beauty, unfortunately.
Fascinating creatures.
PS They are not plants - I suppose you know that. They do not have cellulose, nor chlorophyll. More akin to insects, perhaps. And some of the "Stinkhorns" are mobile. The "lattice fungi" roll around on the ground when they break free of the "egg-sac". Scary, when you first encounter them.
Yours has a very fine "veil" or "skirt" - shame it was broken - but that often happens, as they are so delicate.
Cheers
Denis
Forgot to confirm your comment that they very likely came in with your bark chips.
ReplyDeleteExactly the same with Les and Toni's Starfish fungi.
Cheers
Denis
Thank you Denis, that is all very interesting. I took that photo nearly 4 years ago and only thought to post it when I read your blog this morning. Thanks also for the links - they're interesting too. Now I can go back and label the photo correctly.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I was going to suggest Phallus indusiatus until I seen the comment from Denis. I know so little about fungi but have always found them fascinating :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Mosure, I know nothing about fungi but thought I might learn a bit more if I posted this photo - and I have!! Blogging is great!
ReplyDeleteMick, I have a photo of that exact fungi taken just a few months ago in one of our gardens. Thanks for posting this! Nice to get a little info on it...
ReplyDeleteFungus season up here now. Plenty of bracket fungi and constellations of little mushrooms, but I haven't seen any of those wonderful stinkhorns. Did it pong?
ReplyDeleteHi Sebastian - interesting to know how wide-spread this species must be.
ReplyDeleteHi Snail, I never thought to put my nose down and smell it! I think it must have though as that fly was certainly attracted.
Hi Mick
ReplyDeleteI found another of my little red Starfish Stinkhorns yesterday, and remembered to smell it (It was already broken).
Sure enough, it smelled like a Baby's nappy.
The "gleba" (the goo) is the stuff which smells.
Denis
Interesting,Denis, but maybe I shall just take your word for it! I'm sure you are right - and why should I go and smell something nasty when there are so many nice smells around :-)
ReplyDeleteI guesse it did smell very bad or?
ReplyDelete/MB
We have similar ones in Sri Lanka too
ReplyDelete