JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Join

Phallus rugulosus This mushroom truly smells much worse than it looks. After all, it's called a "stinkhorn" for a reason. It has a spike-like orange fruiting body with small pockmarks and an olive-brown, gelatinous, stinky spore mass towards the apex, which is called the gleba. The fetid odor of the gleba attracts flies. The gleba sticks to the flies as they feed on it, and the flies then mechanically spread the fungus when they land in different places. In addition, the flies further aid in spore dispersal by frantically sucking up the gleba as they can consume as much as 80 percent of their body weight in stinkhorn gleba daily! This putrid gorging upsets the fly's digestive system, which then enables the spores to quickly make their exit from the fly's hindgut. Fall,Geotagged,Phallus,Phallus rugulosus,United States,stinkhorn Click/tap to enlarge Species introCountry intro

Phallus rugulosus

This mushroom truly smells much worse than it looks. After all, it's called a "stinkhorn" for a reason. It has a spike-like orange fruiting body with small pockmarks and an olive-brown, gelatinous, stinky spore mass towards the apex, which is called the gleba. The fetid odor of the gleba attracts flies. The gleba sticks to the flies as they feed on it, and the flies then mechanically spread the fungus when they land in different places. In addition, the flies further aid in spore dispersal by frantically sucking up the gleba as they can consume as much as 80 percent of their body weight in stinkhorn gleba daily! This putrid gorging upsets the fly's digestive system, which then enables the spores to quickly make their exit from the fly's hindgut.

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

Phallus rugulosus is a stinkhorn in the family Phallaceae.

Similar species: Phallales
Species identified by Christine Young
View Christine Young's profile

By Christine Young

All rights reserved
Uploaded Feb 15, 2019. Captured Oct 9, 2018 14:16 in 5 East St, New Milford, CT 06776, USA.
  • Canon EOS 80D
  • f/7.1
  • 1/64s
  • ISO400
  • 100mm