Posted on 11/03/2025 10:55:11 AM PST by Red Badger
The octopus stinkhorn, also known as devil's fingers, is a type of fungus that grows from egg-like spores
Surely one of the weirdest fungi in the British Isles, or indeed anywhere in Europe, is the octopus stinkhorn, otherwise known as devil’s fingers.
It’s actually a southern hemisphere species, originally native to New Zealand and Australia – the leading theory is that its microscopic, dust-like spores hitched a lift to Europe in shipments of wool, timber and other natural products. Though it is still rare in its adopted range, sightings of the stinkhorn are now increasing in England, for reasons that remain a mystery.
Octopus stinkhorn fungus growing from 'eggs'. Credit: de:Benutzer:Oilys, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons The octopus stinkhorn thrives in damp grassland, often near trees, and there is no mistaking its bizarre tentacled form. But the first indication of its presence is when a slimy ‘egg’ appears on the ground. This ‘hatches’ to reveal the tentacles, which are bright red, like raw flesh. The tentacles unfurl, much as an octopus opens its arms, and when mature are covered in a black goo that stinks of death.
The stench attracts flies, which leave smeared in the spore-containing gunk and thus spread the fungus. After a few days, the tentacles disintegrate, leaving a mushy mess in the grass.
Shhhh
Ours aren’t as big, but they are just as stinky...............
Believe me, you don’t have to ask!....................
If HP Lovecraft had imagined a fungus, it would be one of these ...
So it’s the first day of Covid panic (late March 2020, a Friday? IIRC).
I’ve filled a cart at opening at Costco, with a thousand of my closest friends in the most crowded Costco experience I’ve ever had. Which was interesting.
I’ve then moved on to Kroger for a few misc. pick up items. The store is completely picked over, no fresh veggies, no dairy, no fresh meat, no fresh bread. Fortunately they had the misc. stuff I needed.
While shopping this picked over store,
LOOK! Here’s a 5’ wide coffin cooler FULL of product!
Oh, it’s all Beyond Meat and similar stuff. Even in the Covid buying panic, no one wanted that crap.
I should have figured a stock shorting strategy then.
Schumer is behind me?!!!
Aka Democrats.
Several houses ago we had a shady spot in the yard that every spring erupted with unmistakably phallic mushrooms that, how to put this, exhibited clear signs of dripping excitement. They ”stood” about 6 or 8 inches high and sported a purplish cap.
Ask Fungi, he’s our resident expert on fungis..............
Search “stinkhorn” images. A lovely assortment.
We had a clump growing up just around the corner from us... looked exactly like a hand with black fingernails coming up out of the ground. Ran back around the block to grab my phone to take a pic but some yard guys showed up and mowed it down just as I was rounding the corner!! Arrrggh!
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