Family: Phallaceae

Fungi:> Basidiomycota:> Agaricomycetes:> Gomphales:> Phallaceae:> Aseroe, Anthurus, Ileodictyon, Pseudocolus, Mutinus.

This family is one of the most strange in the fungus kingdom. Its members attract insects most often flies, for spore dispersal and to this end they mimic the smell of dung. Soon after hatching, the stench from the stink horn is detected by insects which come to feed on it, and when they leave they carry away spores on theirs bodies and in what they eat, to be deposited later far away from the parent fungus. Snails and slugs also help with spore dispersal.

Genus: Aseroe

Genus: Anthurus

This fungi comes in a widely deferent forms some times with a long stipe and long orange tentacles. While at other times it has a relatively short, wide stipe with long red tentacles or a mixture of these basic shapes. Its believed that the orange tentacle are the result of nutrient deficiencies.
Aseroe rubra			Clathrus archeri

Genus: Ileodictyon

Lysurus

Ileodictyon cibarium is the common basket fungus found in both native bush and wood chip mulch. Recently a new species has been found in sand dunes which is very similar but not documented.			A rare genus with only one previously recorded species found in New Zealand. Very likely this is an introduced species found in grasslands.
Ileodictyon cibarium			Lysurus cruciatus

Genus: Pseudocolus

Genus: Mutinus

Pseudocolus fusiformis

Mutinus borneensis

Mutinus ravenelii

Genus: Protubera

Protubera nothofagi

Genus: Unidentified

The fungi below seams to be a little bit of a mystery some consider it to be a large Aseroe rubra others Anthurus archer but nether seam to fit there descriptions well. This is has become common around the Auckland region with the popularity of using wood chip as a mulch. Also known to have both orange and yellow forms.
Clathrus species	Clathrus species

The Hidden Forest | Forest Fungi | Site Map