Ravenel’s Stinkhorn

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Ravenel’s Stinkhorn is a common and widespread mushroom in gardens, lawns, meadows, cultivated areas, and woodlands of eastern North America. It is found from August through October, singly or in clusters, on the ground or on well rotted stumps, logs, wood chips, or sawdust. It is saprobic, obtaining its nutrients from decaying wood.

The fruiting body at first is white to pinkish, egg-shaped, up to 2⅜″ tall, and resembles a puffball at least partially submerged in the ground. It is attached to the ground or other substrate by thread-like, branching, similarly colored strands (mycelium). Inside the “egg” there is a gelatinous layer and a green spore mass (gleba), and all of the fully-formed parts of the mature stinkhorn. When conditions are right the “egg” ruptures and expands rapidly, sometimes in as little as one hour, producing a 4″ to 6″ tall, distinctly phallic structure with a stalk and thimble-like head. The rapid expansion is possible because all of the parts are fully formed and compressed inside the “egg”, and because the individual cells elongate, rather than new cells being produced. As the stinkhorn expands the gelatinous layer mixes with the spore mass producing a shiny, putrid slime that covers the cap. The foul-smelling slime is irresistible to flies, which feed on it, lay their eggs in it, and transfer spores when they fly to other stinkhorns.

The stalk is spike-like, hollow, spongy, fragile, 4″ to 6″ tall, and ⅝″ to 13 ⁄16″ thick. It is usually entirely white but may be tinged yellowish or pinkish toward the base. At the base of the stalk the remnants of the ruptured “egg” (volva) is white, sometimes tinged with pink.

The cap is thimble-like, ⅝″ to 19 ⁄16″ in diameter and 19 ⁄16″ to 1¾″ in height. There is a white, circular opening at the top where it attaches to the stalk. There are sometimes remnants of a membranous veil attached to the bottom of the cap. At first, the cap is covered with a thick, slimy or gluey, shiny, olive-brown to dark brown, spore-bearing mass (gleba). The gleba has a strong, putrid odor, repulsive to humans but irresistible to flies. When it is carried off by flies and/or washed off by rain it reveals a dark. granular, smooth or slightly wrinkled but not deeply pitted or ridged surface. There are no gills.

All stinkhorns are edible but the slimy consistency inside the “egg” and the putrid odor the mature specimen are enough to dissuade most from collecting it for the table.

Common Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) cap is deeply pitted and ridged (reticulate) beneath the slime.

Gardens, lawns, meadows, cultivated areas, and woodlands.

August through October

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Widespread; more common in eastern United States

I found a couple of these fungus in the woods by my home. Any idea what they are?

Two eggs and two stinkhorns growing in garden mulch

Location: Anoka County

Two eggs and two stinkhorns growing in garden mulch

Location: Maplewood, Ramsey County

Location: St. Paul, MN

They have grown 2 years in the mulch around our house. I decided to identify it this year because the smell is unbelievable. 

Location: Walker, MN

Stinky!

Location: east of Rochester, Mn

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park