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Stinkhorns

Stinkhorn

Phallus impudicus

Also known as Witch's Egg.

StinkhornH. Krisp / CC BY 3.0

About this fungus

Stinkhorn is listed in the Shroomify field guide as a stinkhorns fungus in the Phallaceae family. Grows in all kinds of woodland. Less commonly can be found growing on lawns, pasture or in flower beds.

A note on identification
This profile is a guide rather than a guarantee. If you are considering eating a wild mushroom, check the whole specimen and its possible lookalikes carefully. Do not eat it if you are unsure of the identification.

Photographs

Another view of StinkhornWikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Another view of StinkhornEmanuele Guerrieri Ciaceri / Public Domain
Another view of StinkhornHenk Monster / CC BY 3.0

Further reading

Wikipedia · First Nature

The Shroomify Research Project

What the records suggest about Stinkhorn

The project has analysed over a million matched fungal events alongside weather and habitat data. These findings describe patterns in the study, not conditions that every fruitbody must follow.

Tree associations

Of the tree types tested, Stinkhorn was most often recorded where larch was present.

Ground and bedrock

British records leaned towards lime-rich ground, including chalk and limestone country.

Elevation

Records tended to come from lower ground, about 68 metres below the average elevation of fungal records in the study.

Weather or season?

Recent weather added a strong, repeatable signal after the normal seasonal pattern had been allowed for.

Weather response

When does this mushroom tend to appear?

The middle line means there was no difference between this species and other fungi recorded in the same area and part of the season. Warmer and cooler always mean warmer or cooler than normal for that place and time of year, not absolute temperature.

Increase linked with more recordsDecrease linked with more recordsNo clear linkThin line shows uncertainty

Rainfall

Rainier than normal conditions 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records.

Rainier than normalNo changeDrier than normalRainier than normal conditions 0 to 3 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Rainfall 4 to 7 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 8 to 14 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 15 to 21 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 22 to 30 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainier than normal conditions 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.0-34-78-1415-2122-3031-60Days before the record

Soil moisture

Wetter than normal soil 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records.

Wetter than normalNo changeDrier than normalWetter than normal soil 0 to 3 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 4 to 7 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Soil moisture 8 to 14 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Wetter than normal soil 15 to 21 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.0-34-78-1415-2122-3031-60Days before the record

Each point is a separate matched comparison for that weather measure and time window. Clear results must have a meaningful effect, adequate geographic coverage and the same direction in odd and even years. These are associations in field records, not rules or forecasts.

How the Shroomify research works →