Stinkhorn Fungus, Phallus impudicus, Phallaceae. Composite Image Showing Life Cycle of the Fungus.

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Stinkhorn Fungus, Phallus impudicus, Phallaceae. Composite Image Showing the Life Cycle of the Fungus. Round, soft, fruiting bodies first appear in woodland leaf litter, often called Witches eggs. These then break open and the phallic fungus grows from it. Initially this is covered in an olive green-brown, foul smelling, sticky material containing the spores, which attracts flies. The flies eat and disperse the spores, which pass through the flies undamaged, leaving a white lattice on the head of the fungus. The fruiting body soon decays after this.

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Size: 5063px × 3454px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © Naturepix / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: autumn, britain, british, brown, common, damp, edible, egg, eggs, flies, fly, food, fungi, fungus, impudicus, mushroom, natural, nature, naturepix, phallaceae, phallic, phallus, repulsive, sewage, smell, stink, stinkhorn, toadstool, uk, white, widespread, wild, witches, woodland, woods, young