About this fungus
Stinkhorn is a fungus in the Phallaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A fungus that begins as a whitish egg in soil or litter, then rapidly expands into a tall, hollow and spongy white stem. Its conical pitted cap is coated in dark olive spore slime whose carrion-like smell attracts flies.
What to check
The unopened egg contains a gelatinous layer and the recognisable folded outline of the developing cap and stem. Mature fruit bodies have no gills: spores are held in the dark olive gleba covering the honeycombed cap. Flies can remove this slime quickly, leaving a pale pitted surface. The porous white stem rises from torn egg remnants at its base and has no ring.
Variation
Fresh caps may be almost completely covered by olive-brown slime, while fly-cleaned or rain-washed specimens can become pale and strongly honeycombed. The basal egg remnants range from white to pinkish. Stems may bend or collapse because their walls are thin and spongy.
Lookalikes
Dune Stinkhorn, Phallus hadriani, is associated especially with sandy habitats and often develops a pink to violet egg. Dog Stinkhorn, Mutinus caninus, is smaller and slimmer with the spore slime confined near the pointed tip. Young stinkhorn eggs should not be confused with solid puffballs or enclosed Amanita buttons; a lengthwise section reveals their very different internal layers.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic in woodland litter, gardens, hedges, lawns and mulched beds rich in buried wood, old roots or other woody debris. It is widespread in Europe and introduced or recorded in other temperate regions, fruiting mainly from summer into late autumn.
Food safety
Edibility is uncertain or disputed.
Photographs
Wikimedia Commons contributor / CC BY-SA 3.0
Emanuele Guerrieri Ciaceri / Public Domain
Henk Monster / CC BY 3.0Species to compare
Similar mushrooms to compare against: