Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 30, 2012. A 3" long Stinkhorn Fungus (Lysurus mokusin) brought the faint scent of rotting meat and flies to my backyard. However, dogs aren't fooled by the stink, just curious about it. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 30, 2012. A few hours later, a second, eventually even larger and more substantial (3.5") Stinkhorn erupted from the earth, about a foot and a half away from the first. This one really was more alien-like in its sprouting, 6" from the Stinkhorn that came up on Thursday (photo below).
Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 26, 2012. I swear these mushrooms are aliens lying in wait to ambush and replicate humans.
Learn more about Stinkhorns: Mykoweb. Mykoweb is one of the best resources for California mushroom identification.
Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.
