I have loved mushrooms since childhood, and I have also been a programmer for a long time. Combining these two hobbies, I wrote this website. Previously, I had two other mushroom identification sites, which I sold. Only one of them remains accessible today. My goal with the current site is to create an easy-to-use search and identification platform that works great both in the field and at home. I hope it brings joy to others.
Bartha László
Species flashcards
Practice area: created for the 303-species Hungarian mushroom inspector requirement. It is not an official examination; requirements in other countries may differ.
Stinkhorn
Phallus impudicus
edible
- Habitat: deciduous coniferous
- Fruiting season: June – October
- Cap:
- Stem:
- Fertile layer:
Description
Description: Characteristic appearance, its smell and slimy surface are good identifying features. The slimy part attracts insects, which thus carry the spores on their legs.
Fruiting body: When young, the spherical "witch's egg" is 3-6 (10) cm in diameter; develops underground, its outer rind is leathery, whitish, soft to the touch, with a mycelial cord at the base, later elongating to egg-shaped, emerging slightly from the soil, becoming dirty white, ochre, when the mushroom breaks the outer rind, and the stem lifts the cap to a height within a few hours; the cap is 3-8 cm tall, 2-5 cm in diameter, olive-greenish, its surface is pitted, slimy, with a whitish ring at the apex; the stem is 10-20 (30) cm long, 2-5 cm thick; cylindrical, spongy, brittle, hollow; white; with a volva at the lower part.
Hymenium: Covers the pitted surface of the cap. The stinky, olive-greenish slime containing the spores is spread by insects.
Flesh: The egg is gelatinous under the rind, its center is hard, odorless, tasteless; when developed, it is spongy, the cap has a disgusting corpse-like smell.
Spore: Yellow, due to the slimy surface, a traditional spore print cannot be made; 3.5 x 1.5-2.5μm; elliptical elongated, smooth.
Occurrence: From June to October, in deciduous and coniferous forests, locally growing in masses, common species.
Edibility: Edible when young, in egg form.
Confusion: Similar to the edible yellow morel.
Note: The genus name Phallus, given by Carl Linnaeus, refers to the phallic appearance of the mushrooms in this genus. impudicus comes from the Latin "shameless" or "immodest", so Phallus impudicus means "shamelessly phallic".
Species description: The nomenclatural form appeared as Phallus impudicus var.impudicus in 1753, by Carl Linnaeus, who gave it its scientific name. The mushroom has retained this name to this day.
Taxonomy
- PhylumBasidiomycota
- ClassAgaricomycetes
- OrderPhallales
- FamilyPhallaceae
- GenusPhallus
- Species: impudicus
- Described by: L., 1753
- Hungarian name: erdei szömörcsög
- Lifestyle: soil saprotroph
- Edibility: not edible
