New Neighbor

As documented elsewhere in my busy online existence, last week Kate and I saw an unfamiliar fungus-like growth next to our driveway (the one in the foreground; the red thing in the background is our '93 Honda Civic). We called over our neighbor Jill, a mycological hobbyist, to see what she thought it might be. She agreed it might be a mushroom, but had no idea what kind. I think she talked to a more expert friend, who talked to a more expert friend, and they came up with an identification: Clathrus ruber. Or latticed stinkhorn, if you want to be less Latin about it. Sort of exciting to find some documentation about it:

"A spectacular and beautiful fungus, Clathrus ruber makes a remarkable transformation from a white, bumpy-surfaced, egg-stage, to a bright reddish-orange, hollow, fragile lattice-work structure. Unfortunately, the beauty of this fungus is overshadowed by its odor, which is of rotting flesh."

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Comments

[jb]

Don't hit that with the Lawnboy.

[pam]

Fantastic! Now I see the old stump on which the mighty 'ruber is growing.

How does it smell?

[Lydell]

I don't know who will say it, but soon after the next rainfall, listen for "It....is....ALIVE!!"

[judy b.]

Forgive me, but it looks delicious - like a flakey pastry covered in powdered sugar.