Fungi to observe · Phallus impudicus
Discover the common stinkhorn
What is attracting the flies? The stinkhorn has a distinctive smell. Puschel and Flauschi observe it from a distance.
The short answer
A stinkhorn begins inside a round covering sometimes called a witch's egg. Later its smell attracts flies, which can carry spores away. Spores are tiny units that help the fungus spread.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel stops suddenly and pinches his nose. Puschel“What smells like that?” Flauschi finds a fungus with a dark tip and little flies around it. They stay on the path and watch the flies fly away again.
Fungus facts
Three things to notice
Shape
A stinkhorn first grows from a rounded covering often called an egg.
How it lives
Its strong smell attracts flies.
In the forest
The flies help spread the fungus’s spores.
Try explaining it
How can flies help a stinkhorn?
Choose a), b) or c), then explain your choice.
- a)By carrying its spores away.
- b)They keep the spores on the fungus instead of carrying them away.
- c)They carry the spores only back to the same fruiting body.
Show the explanation
Correct: a): By carrying its spores away.
The smell attracts flies. They can pick up the tiny spores and carry them away.
Word help
- mass
- A property of objects, measured in grams or kilograms, that affects gravity and resistance to changes of motion.
- spore
- A tiny unit that helps fungi or ferns spread. In suitable conditions it can start further development. It is not a seed.
- mycelium
- A network of fine fungal threads, often hidden in soil or wood.
- fruiting body
- The spore-producing part of a fungus. A cap and stalk are one example, not the whole fungus.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Why do flies help this fungus?
A dark, slimy spore-bearing mass covers the upper part of the fruiting body. Its strong smell attracts flies. Feeding or walking on it can help them pick up and spread spores, tiny reproductive units. This fungus therefore uses animals for transport rather than relying only on wind.
Compare and understand
The rounded covering of the young fungus is sometimes called a witch’s egg. This is a descriptive name, not an egg containing an animal. The fruiting body emerges from it. Observe from a distance and compare photographs; do not rub the fungus or bring it close to your face.
An optional question for further exploration
You can use the longer explanation above. This is extra, not needed for the first quiz.
Mini quiz
An extra question
Why are flies more than just visitors for the stinkhorn?
Show answer
Its smell attracts them; they help spread its spores.