Stinky Squid Pseudocolus fusiformis (E. Fischer) Lloyd    Synonyms: Stinky Squid Stinkhorn.
Kingdom Fungi   >   Phylum Basidiomycota   >   Class Agaricomycetes   >   Order Phallales   >   Family Phallaceae   >   Genus Pseudocolus   

Status:

Found solitary or scattered on ground in parks, gardens, and borders of open woods.

Description:

Fruiting body: Yellowish or pinkish-orange fruiting body of 3-5 arms rising from a common base. Arms roughened, fused or free at tips. Stalk: Wrinkled and tough; volva grayish-brown, grayish-white, wrinkled and tough. Spore mass: Olive-green, on inner surface of arms, slimy, strong unpleasant odor (J. Solem, pers. comm.).

There are 63 records in the project database.

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Stinky Squid in Howard Co., Maryland (9/5/2011). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Howard Co., Maryland (7/19/2019). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/11/2011). Photo by Elizabeth Ingianni. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid (fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (5/30/2009). Note the areas of gooey spores inside the arms. Photo by Robert Solem. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Harford Co., Maryland (9/3/2019). (c) Ryan Patrick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by biglaughinggym via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid growing in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/30/2018). Photo by Bonnie Bell. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/8/2020). (c) Lauren, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Lauren via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid (fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (5/30/2009). Note that the mature spores attract a variety of insects. Photo by Wesley Earp. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Howard Co., Maryland (9/5/2011). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/16/2020). (c) Katya Tregub, all rights reserved. Photo by Katya Tregub-Emrick. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid growing in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/3/2017). Photo by Keith Eric Costley. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid growing in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/3/2017). Photo by Keith Eric Costley. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/23/2017). (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Katja Schulz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Stinky Squid in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/27/2020). (c) Max Wilson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

Spores collected from a Stinky Squid specimen in Howard Co., Maryland (7/16/2014). Ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline; measured 4.0-4.5 X 1.6-2.8 microns. Photo by Robert Solem. (MBP list)


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