Anemone stinkhorn

Aseroe rubra

"Aseroe rubra", commonly known as the anemone stinkhorn, is a common and widespread basidiomycete fungus recognizable for its foul odour of carrion and its sea anemone shape when mature. Found in gardens on mulch and in grassy areas, it resembles a red star-shaped structure covered in brownish slime on a white stalk. It attracts flies, which spread its spores.
Anemone Stinkhorn - Aseroe rubra A cluster of these fungi arose from leaf litter in my garden Anemone Stinkhorn - Aseroe rubra,Australia,Geotagged,Summer

Appearance

It begins as a partly buried whitish egg-shaped structure 3 cm in diameter, which bursts open as a hollow white stalk with reddish arms erupts and grows to a height of 10 cm.

It matures into a reddish star-shaped structure with six to ten arms up to 3.5 cm long radiating from the central area. These arms are bifid. The top of the fungus is covered with dark olive-brown slime or gleba, which smells of rotting meat. There is a cup-shaped volva at the base that is the remnants of the original egg.
Anemone stinkhorn I learned that this was the first native Australian fungus to be formally described in 1792. Beginning as a partly buried, whitish egg-shaped structure (see top of image), which then bursts open as a hollow white stalk with reddish arms. The orange/red star-shaped structure is covered in brown slime which attracts flies. The flies help to disperse the spores. Can grow to a height of 10 cm. Agaricomycetes,Anemone stinkhorn,Aseroe rubra,Australia,Basidiomycota,Fungi,Geotagged,Phallaceae,Phallales,new south wales,sea anemone fungus,spring,starfish fungus

Distribution

This fairly common fungus is widely distributed in Australia from southeastern Queensland through New South Wales and eastern Victoria and Tasmania. It is also found across the islands in the Pacific Ocean, including New Zealand. A saprotroph, it is found on decomposing plant matter as well as on woodchips and mulch and is common in gardens and amenities plantings. It also occurs in alpine grasslands and woodlands.

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Taxonomy
KingdomFungi
DivisionBasidiomycota
ClassAgaricomycetes
OrderPhallales
FamilyPhallaceae
GenusAseroe
SpeciesA. rubra
Photographed in
Australia