Stinkhorns – Colus & Clathrus.
Basidiomycota > Agaricomycetes > Phallales.
The stinkhorns are a diverse group characterised by:
i.) The fruiting body arises from a gelatinous round or egg shaped structure 1 cm in diameter
traces of which may or may not remain and
ii.) they all produce spores in a sticky, foul smelling slime (gleba) on the fruiting body.
The smell attracts insects such as flies which, while eating, get some of the gleba on their feet and
carry it to another fruiting body.
They live on dead or decaying organic matter.
Previously classification was easy with 2 families:
Phallaceae – stinkhorns with unbranched stems and
Clathraceae – stinkhorns with branched stems and lattices.
Genetic studies have added more families including many corals and earthstars.
J.F.
