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Mutinus elegans, commonly known as the elegant stinkhorn, the headless stinkhorn, or the devil's dipstick, is a species of fungus in the Phallaceae (stinkhorn) family. It is also known as dog stinkhorn but using this name can lead to confusion with Mutinus caninus. The fruit body begins its development in an "egg" form, resembling somewhat a puffball partially submerged in the ground. As the fungus matures, a slender orange to pink colored stalk emerges that tapers evenly to a pointed tip. The stalk is covered with a foul-smelling slimy green spore mass on the upper third of its length. Flies and other insects feed upon the slime which contains the spores, assisting in their dispersal.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
We have no record of Devil's dipstick being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
Classification
- Kingdom
- Fungi
- Phylum
- Basidiomycota
- Class
- Agaricomycetes
- Order
- Phallales
- Family
- Phallaceae
- Genus
- Mutinus
- Species
- Mutinus elegans
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