During the past few weeks, rain has encouraged the fruiting of a lot of stinkhorns in my local area. Most abundant, in a park at Dulwich Hill are a huge number of Aseroe rubra or the Anemone Stinkhorn.
Fresh Aseroe rubra with gleba
These interesting fungi emerge from an egg like structure. When fresh, the top of the fruiting body is covered with a brown slimy substance known as gleba. This is foul smelling and attracts flies and other insects that eat it and consequently help spread the spores of the fungus. The spores spread by passing through the digestive system of the insect.
These fungi are commonly found in areas where chipped pine has been recently deposited. They seem to like the nutrients that leach out of the pine chips after a year or two.
Along the Cooks River, in a few locations are a different variety of stinkhorn. These are Phallus rubicundus. They too have heads covered with gleba when fresh.
Fresh Phallus rubicundus
Older Phallus rubicundus
Thanks for the post! I found some in Rhodes and picked a few to try and cultivate in a box at home (curiosity not culinary!) I refrained from the one that looked like it had recently been defacated on by a local dog with an upset tummy but I guess I should have picked that very one as it had the spores on it?