Any gardeners here ever seen this ghastly thing????

[ailsagirl]

Last edited Sun Nov 12, 2017, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Just recently found out what it is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrus_ruber

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I think it's sort of cool in an alien, creepy way.

[ailsagirl]

2. Creepy...YES

Flies are attracted to its pungent smell

shudder

[Wwcd]

3. What's not to love about this stinkhorn fungus!

SNIP

The egg has a delicate, leathery outer membrane enclosing the compressed lattice that surrounds a layer of olive-green spore-bearing slime called the gleba, which contains high levels of calcium that help protect the fruit body during development.

As the egg ruptures and the fruit body expands, the gleba is carried upward on the inner surfaces of the spongy lattice, and the egg membrane remains as a volva around the base of the structure.
The fruit body can reach heights of up to 20 cm (7.9 in).
The color of the fruit body, which can range from pink to orange to red, results primarily from the carotenoid pigments lycopene and beta-carotene.

The gleba has a fetid odor, somewhat like rotting meat, which attracts flies and other insects to help disperse its spores.

[Skittles]

4. you want I should kick some fungi ass, aliasgal?

LEMME AT THEM!!!

[ailsagirl]

16. YES!!!

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I've never seen this before. It's very interesting.

[ret5hd]

6. That is absolutely cool!

[jpak]

7. Buffalo Onion Rings ! - yum!

[Lochloosa]

8. The stinkhorn is eaten in some parts of the world.

Usually in the "egg" stage but not always.

[ailsagirl]

14. UGH!

[Binkie The Clown]

9. Disgusting? That's beautiful! What an amazing work of nature. nt

[ailsagirl]

15. Perhaps-- but it still gives me the creeps

Less so, now that I know what it is

[OregonBlue]

10. Oh My Goodness. I've been gardening a long time and I've never seen one of those.

Now I'm going to go read all about them. Did it show up in your garden?

[ailsagirl]

11. Not in my garden but in the earth around my place

I guess they come in a variety of sizes-- what I've seen so far are about the size of a plum (I'm in the Bay Area)

I just read this:

Stinkhorns have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions.

[OregonBlue]

17. After your pic I went and read all about them. They are really very awful and some of them

not only stink but they can get HUGE. Thanks for teaching us something all new today

[ailsagirl]

18. You're welcome, OregonBlue!

Have a great week!!

[demmiblue]

12. It reminds me of my dog's toy:

[ailsagirl]

13. LOLOLOL!!!!