COMMON STINKHORN

Phallus impudicus

External links

IUCN Red List Status: NOT EVALUATED

Media Center Navigation

COMMON STINKHORN

Images


Choose images

Phallus impudicus L. 1753 Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus L. 1753 Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus Phallus impudicus L. 1753 Phallus impudicus

Page navigation

Page 1 Next
Classification : Text  | Graphic  | Source

Table Of Contents

Description

Source and Additional Information
ARKive external link
 
Some rights reserved
Some rights reserved

Its terrible foetid smell as well as an unmistakable appearance makes the stinkhorn one of the most easily recognised species of fungi (2). Young fruit bodies (the visible part of the fungus) are known as 'eggs', and have often been confused with real eggs. The phallic mature fruit body grows extremely rapidly from the egg, taking just 1 and a half hours to reach full size in one recorded case. The conical cap is olive green in colour and rapidly becomes slimy, developing an unpleasant smell; it has a honeycombed appearance (2).

WARNING: Many species of fungus are poisonous or contain chemicals that can cause sickness. Never pick and eat any species of fungus that you cannot positively recognise or are unsure about. Some species are deadly poisonous and can cause death within a few hours if swallowed.