this is my contribution to FungiFriday by ewkaw
i have seen Phallus impudicus often enough but this year was the first time i had ever encountered Phallus hadriani or dune stinkhorn. here in norway it is redlisted as a threatened species.
the unmistakable phallic group of them was quite a spectacle. and the stench was unambiguous, though different than the common stinkhorn.
fungi are such curious creations and with species such as this nature shows its humorous side.
the putrid smell repels us but attracts flies (presumably female?) and other insects
which eat the (meat?) sticky green coating on the cap. in the process they get the fungal spores stuck to or perhaps between their legs and spread them (the spores) long distances. the underlying honeycomb-like structure remains on the head.
P. hadriani has a pinkish vulva that makes it both attractive and easily identifiable but i can't help but wonder if it would have been better with the head and stem upside down.
so what do you think? are these fungi fun, cool, fascinating, disgusting or what?
