A little bit of rain can facilitate the sudden appearance of stinkhorn fungi. A lot more of the Sea Anemone Stinkhorn – Aseroë rubra had emerged from the wood chips in the park at Dulwich Hill so I thought I would wander up and take some photos.
Phallus rubicundus
I also thought it worthwhile to see if any were out along the Cooks River. There were – more of the phallic shaped Phallus rubicundus.
Gleba on Phallus rubicundus
Both these fungi, when fresh out have a dark slime on them called gleba. This foul smelling substance contains the fungal spores. Its smell attracts flies which eat it. For the spores to be viable they need to pass through the digestive system of a fly. This also helps the spores spread.
