# Stinkhorn (*Phallus*)

The Stinkhorn fungus has a funny shape and a strong smell! It grows in the ground and is very unusual to see.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** In gardens and forests
- **Also known as:** Corpse Flower, Devil's Horn

![Stinkhorn](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426409/objects/5125.jpg)

## Appearance

The Stinkhorn is a striking fungus with a tall, white, porous stalk topped by a conical, slimy, olive-green cap. This cap is covered in a dark, foul-smelling goo (gleba) that makes it visually distinct from most other tall, stalked mushrooms.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Phallales
- **Family:** Phallaceae
- **Genus:** Phallus

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Europeans believed Stinkhorns grew where lightning had struck!
- Before emerging, Stinkhorns look like a soft, white 'witch's egg' buried in the soil!
- Its scientific name, 'Phallus', comes from its unusual, phallic shape!
- Some people brave the smell and eat the Stinkhorn 'egg' when it's still young!

## Special abilities

- **Stinky Scent Beacon:** Stinkhorn can produce a strong, foul odor because of its slimy spore mass that helps them attract flies for spore dispersal.
- **Explosive Emergence:** Stinkhorn has a unique 'egg' stage that helps them rapidly emerge from the ground, sometimes in just hours, after heavy rain.
- **Fly Taxi Service:** Stinkhorn has sticky, smelly spores that help them hitch a ride on visiting insects, spreading them far and wide.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 2-4 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** Olive-green

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Blowfly (*Calliphora vicina*) — Blowflies are attracted to and feed on the smelly gleba, dispersing spores.
- **Depends on:** Pedunculate Oak (*Quercus robur*) — Stinkhorns decompose dead wood and leaf litter from trees like oak.
- **Eats:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs occasionally feed on the foul-smelling spore mass (gleba).

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Stinkhorn?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Stinkhorn?

10-30 cm

### Is Stinkhorn edible?

inedible

### How big is Stinkhorn?

2-4 cm

### Where is Stinkhorn usually found?

In gardens and forests

### What does Stinkhorn grow on?

soil

### When is Stinkhorn in season?

Summer to fall

### What color are Stinkhorn spores?

Olive-green

## Where to spot

- [Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dubuque-arboretum-and-botanical-gardens) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Stinkhorn: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stinkhorn)