Alien Spawn - or something for the Missus?

[janey]

Even more fascinating, once you realize the phallus doesn't grow, but stretch (hydraulics) with a speed of up to 2-5 centimetres an hour.---

 

How is water moved so quickly into the FB to enable such rapid expansion?

 

Sorry if that's a basic question

[David Humphries]

M. caninus has an orange top, M. ravenelii a pink to pinkish reddish top, so this is M. caninus.

 

Thanks for the info Gerrit

 

 

 

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[Fungus]

How is water moved so quickly into the FB to enable such rapid expansion?

 

Janey,

Inside the "egg", the water is stored in the gelatinous layer between the outer leathery "shell" and the compressed FB (see cut in half egg). Once the process starts, the water is drawn into the cells at the base of the stem and from there on "rises up" while enlarging the cells and stretching the entire honey comb structure of the FB.

[David Humphries]

There was less than 12 hours between these two shots.

 

The development from cone extended egg to full erect phallus is remarkable.

 

Haven't seen any other Genus expand so quickly.

 

 

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[Fungus]

Thanks for the info

 

David,

I remember seeing the last photo before and you mentioning Spinellus fusiger also being present, which is exceptional, because as far as I have seen and documented it, S. fusiger is restricted to smaller species of Agarics such as Mycena species.

[David Humphries]

David,

I remember seeing the last photo before and you mentioning Spinellus fusiger also being present, which is exceptional, because as far as I have seen and documented it, S. fusiger is restricted to smaller species of Agarics such as Mycena species.

 

 

 

Interesting Gerrit.

 

Are there any other Spinellus species ?

 

 

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[Fungus]

There was less than 12 hours between these two shots. The development from cone extended egg to full erect phallus is remarkable.

 

A complete 15-20 centimetres high FB develops within 8 hours and stays erect without needing a blue pill .

[Fungus]

Are there any other Spinellus species ?

 

Yes : Spinellus chalybeus, S. macrocarpus, S. gigasporus and S. arvernensis, but none of them is described having Phallaceae as substrate.

[David Humphries]

Yes : Spinellus chalybeus, S. macrocarpus, S. gigasporus and S. arvernensis, but none of them is described having Phallaceae as substrate.

 

 

Thanks

 

I'll ask around over here & see if it has been noted as a host for Spinellus or not.

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Not sure I'd want to bump into what ever emerged from this 'egg'

 

 

Scleroderma citrinum

 

 

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