''Phallus duplicatus'' (common name, netted stinkhorn or wood witch) is a species of fungus in the stinkhorn family. The bell-shaped to oval cap is green-brown, the cylindrical

stalk Stalk or stalking may refer to: Behaviour * Stalk, the stealthy approach (phase) of a predator towards its prey * Stalking, an act of intrusive behaviour or unwanted attention towards a person * Deer stalking, the pursuit of deer for sport Biol ...

is white. When mature the cap becomes sticky with a slimy green coating that attracts flies that disperse its spores, and it has a distinct, "netted" universal veil. The fungus is edible when still in the "egg" stage, before the fruit body has expanded. It grows often in public lawns, and can also be found in meadows.

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1811 by French botanist

Louis Bosc Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

Synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

include ''Dictyophora duplicata'' and ''Hymenophallus duplicatus''. It is commonly known as the netted stinkhorn or the wood witch.

Description

Immature fruit bodies are roughly spherical, whitish to pink in color, and have thick

rhizomorph Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae. Cords may look similar to plant roots, and also frequently have similar functio ...

s at the base. Fully grown and matured, the fruit body is cylindrical and up to tall. A bell-shaped to oval cap is at the top of the

, which measures and wide. Its surface is covered with chambers and pits, and there is a perforation at the tip with a white rim. A white, lacy, skirt-like veil, or ''indusium'', hangs below the cap. The cap is initially covered with a foetid greenish slime, the gleba.

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s are cylindrical,

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

(translucent), smooth, and measure 3.5–4.2 by 1–1.5

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

. Fruit bodies are edible when still in the "egg" stage. The species resembles ''

Phallus indusiatus ''Phallus indusiatus'', commonly called the bamboo mushrooms, bamboo pith, long net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn or veiled lady, is a fungus in the family Phallaceae, or stinkhorns. It has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical areas, and ...

'', but that species has a longer indusium and smaller spores.

Habitat and distribution

''Phallus duplicatus'' is a saprobic species, and fruit bodies grow singly or in small groups on the ground in woods, gardens, and landscaped areas. The smelly gleba coating the cap attracts flies and other insects that consume it and help to disperse the spores. It is known from Asia (China and Japan), eastern North America, and South America (Brazil). The species was featured in a Paraguayan postage stamp in 1986. Although it has been widely recorded from Europe, some of these may be misidentifications with the similar '' Phallus impudicus'' var. ''togatus''. ''Phallus duplicatus'' is Red Listed in the Ukraine.

References

External links

*
Phallus duplicatus
' a
Mushroom Expert
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4418036 Phallales Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi of South America Fungi described in 1811 Taxa named by Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc