The Ventilator

Incorporating The Ranger's Blog

FungiNotes from a Wildlife Garden

Phallus rising

Matthew Chatfield
Latest posts by Matthew Chatfield (see all)

By Ruth D’Alessandro, The Wildlife Gardener The Wildlife Gardener had forgotten about the stinkhorn half-‘egg’ in the Tupperware lunchbox, inside a rucksack. When I finally remembered it was there, I expected a smelly mushy mess. So imagine my surprise when I took the lid off and this popped up!

Phallus rising

Clearly the Millennium Seed Bank ecologist’s attempted circumcision had not finished off the fungus. It even smelt quite rank and chemically nasty, the ‘head’ of the stinkhorn can be seen quite clearly at the bottom of the picture. Tomorrow, I shall take this toadstool and lay it to rest under our oak tree in the hope that some spores will be dispersed into the Wildlife Garden. I hope I get my own mature, photographable Phallus impudicus next year.

Matthew Chatfield

Uncooperative crusty. Unofficial Isle of Wight cultural ambassador. Conservation, countryside and the environment, with extra stuff about spiders.

2 thoughts on “Phallus rising

  • Tim Barrow

    Just mind the alien face hugger lurking in there.

    Reply
  • pajamadeen

    Naughty vegetables, daring fungi…I can’t wait to show this one to Wrinkled Randy tomorrow. You’ll be happy to hear that he became quite nauseous when made to watch the slug-mating video. with every twist and turn of the slugs, he wailed anew: “Oh, groooosssss! Ewwwwwwww!” Perhaps soon he will begin whining: “You’re not going to make me look at that British site again, are you?” And I’ll give him a crocodile smile and he’ll know the answer. hahahahaha

    Reply

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