Devil’s Stinkhorn

(Phallus rubicundus)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed

 
Devil’s Stinkhorn
Photo by Luciearl
 
Description

Devil’s Stinkhorn is native to the subtropical region of northern Africa, Australia, South America, northern Mexico and southern United States. It has spread throughout the eastern United States, probably in wood chip mulch imported from those regions. It is now common east of the Great Plains. It is found from spring through summer in lawns and gardens, especially where wood chip mulch is used. It grows on the ground, in wood chips or sawdust piles, singly or in groups. It is saprobic, obtaining its nutrients from decaying wood.

The fruiting body at first is whitish to pale brown, egg-shaped, ¾ to 1¼ tall, and to 1¼ wide. It 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, an olive-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. In one or two days it produces a 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 hollow, spike-like, 6 to 8 tall, and about in diameter. It is widest at the base and tapers to the tip. It is bright orangish-red near the tip, fading to pale orange near the base. The surface is covered with irregular, pit-like depressions.

The cap is thimble-like,1¼to 1¾ in height, and to ¾ in diameter. There is an orangish-red, 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-green to olive-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 an orangish-red, smooth, not pitted or ridged surface. There are no gills.

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat and Hosts

Wood chip mulch, lawns, and gardens

Ecology

Season

Spring through summer

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

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

8/26/2024    
     

Occurrence

Common and widespread east of the Great Plains

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi (fungi)

Subkingdom

Dikarya

Division

Basidiomycota (club fungi)

Subdivision

Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)

Class

Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies)

Subclass

Phallomycetidae

Order

Phallales (stinkhorns and allies)

Family

Phallaceae (stinkhorns)

Genus

Phallus

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Ithyphallus rubicundus

Leiophallus rubicundus

Satyrus rubicundus

   

Common Names

Devil’s Stinkhorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Gleba

The inner spore-bearing mass of puffballs, earthstars, and stinkhorns. The term is also used to refer to the spore-bearing slime covering the head of a stinkhorn.

 

Mycelium

The vegetative part of a fungus; consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae, through which a fungus absorbs nutrients from its environment; and excluding the fruiting, reproductive structure.

 

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.

Visitor Photos
 

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Melissa Eggerth

Devil’s Stinkhorn  

Devil’s Stinkhorn

Sarah W.

Devil’s Stinkhorn    

Found a small trio in my garden. I had never seen this fungus before today.

   

E. Russell

Devil’s Stinkhorn    

Found in the mulch at the base of a Butterfly Bush in my backyard.

   

Melissa Alberts

Devil’s Stinkhorn   Devil’s Stinkhorn
     
Devil’s Stinkhorn    

ABaker

Devil’s Stinkhorn   Devil’s Stinkhorn

In July I wast digging around by my mulch pile when I smelled something really bad. I found these unusual (to me) pods in my wood chips. …

  … About a month later, these guys were poking their heads out all over the place.

Ms. Perkins

Devil’s Stinkhorn   Devil’s Stinkhorn

At first glance I thought this was a foam dart from one my son's Nerf guns. Good thing I didn't try to pick it up, my hands would have stunk for a week!

 

Luciearl

Devil’s Stinkhorn    

My first thought was these looked like bright orange cables coming from the ground. A closer look showed Devil's Stinkhorn.

   

LizInMpls

Devil’s Stinkhorn    
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
     
     
     

 

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Other Videos

The Phallus Mushroom and Friends
Maximus Thaler

About

Published on Oct 24, 2016

Phallus rubicundus (Devil's Stinkhorn)
CUPlantPathPhotoLab

About

Published on Sep 11, 2013

 

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Visitor Sightings
 

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Melissa Eggerth
8/25/2024

Location: Little Falls MN

Devil’s Stinkhorn
Sarah W.
9/11/2023

Location: St. Paul

Found a small trio in my garden. I had never seen this fungus before today.

Devil’s Stinkhorn
E. Russell
5/17/2023

Location: Blount County,  TN

Found in the mulch at the base of a Butterfly Bush in my backyard. 

Devil’s Stinkhorn

Barbara Pakay
9/11/2022

Location: Russellville Arkansas

ABaker
8/13/2020

Location: Kimball, MN Stearns County

I found these unusual (to me) pods in my wood chips. About a month later, these guys were poking their heads out all over the place.

Devil’s Stinkhorn

Melissa Alberts
7/27/2021

Location: Jackson MN – flowerbed around my house

Devil’s Stinkhorn
ABaker
7/19/2020

Location: Kimball, MN Stearns County

In July I wast digging around by my mulch pile when I smelled something really bad.

Devil’s Stinkhorn

M and D Crane
7/21/2019

Location: SW Minneapolis

Ms. Perkins
7/16/2019

Location: Brooklyn Center

At first glance I thought this was a foam dart from one my son's Nerf guns. Good thing I didn't try to pick it up, my hands would have stunk for a week!

Devil’s Stinkhorn

Teri
7/3/2019

Location: Fridley backyard

Luciearl
9/2017

Location: Paul Bunyan Trail, Nisswa

My first thought was these looked like bright orange cables coming from the ground. A closer look showed Devil's Stinkhorn.

Devil’s Stinkhorn

LizInMpls
8/30/2018

Location: Hennepin - South Minneapolis

Devil’s Stinkhorn

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

 

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Created: 9/2/2018

Last Updated:

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