Mutinus elegans

Mutinus elegans, commonly known as the elegant stinkhorn, the headless stinkhorn, or the devil's dipstick, is a species of fungus in the Phallaceae (stinkhorn) family. It is also known as dog stinkhorn but using this name can lead to confusion with Mutinus caninus. The fruit body begins its development in an "egg" form, resembling somewhat a puffball partially submerged in the ground. As the fungus matures, a slender orange to pink colored stalk emerges that tapers evenly to a pointed tip. The stalk is covered with a foul-smelling slimy green spore mass on the upper third of its length. Flies and other insects feed upon the slime which contains the spores, assisting in their dispersal.

Taxonomy

Mutinus elegans was first described by British missionary John Banister in 1679 who chronicled the natural history of Virginia; this early report is thought to be the first account of a fungus in North America. It was first characterized scientifically by French scientist Jean Pierre François Camille Montagne in 1856, who called it Corynites elegans. The genus name Mutinus refers to the Roman phallic deity Mutunus Tutunus, one of the di indigetes placated by Roman brides. The species is commonly known variously as the "elegant stinkhorn", the "headless stinkhorn", the "dog stinkhorn", or the "devil's dipstick". The specific epithet elegans is derived from the Latin word meaning "graceful" or "elegant". == Description ==

Description

The young fruiting bodies are initially white and spherical or egg-shaped, partially submerged in the ground, with dimensions of by . As the fruit body matures, the egg ruptures and the spongy spore-bearing stalk emerges; fully grown, it may be from long and thick. The normally pinkish Phallus rubicundus and the orangish P. rugulosus both have conical caps. == Habitat and distribution ==

Habitat and distribution

Mutinus elegans is saprobic—deriving nutrients by breaking down dead or dying organic matter. It is commonly found in gardens and farm areas enriched with manure, near well-decayed stumps and logs, and in wood chips. A Japanese publication mentioned its occurrence in Takatsuki and Osaka-fu, where it fruited in November and December on the ground along paths or in open spaces, under or near bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) and hardwoods such as the sawtooth oak, the Japanese Zelkova, and the Camphor tree. This common species has been collected in eastern North America, in the area extending from Quebec to Florida and west to the Great Lakes, Iowa, Colorado, and Texas. In Europe, it has been reported from Netherlands and in Asia, it has been collected in Japan. == Uses ==

Uses

The immature egg-forms of M. elegans are edible, but "not recommended". One field guides notes that the eggs of the stinkhorn fungi "taste like the seasonings that are added to them." The fetid odor of mature specimens would probably be repellent to most, although they are not considered poisonous. Antibiotic activity A study of 32 basidiomycete mushrooms showed that Mutinus elegans was the only species to show antibiotic (both antibacterial and antifungal) activity against all six microorganisms tested, namely, the human pathogenic bacterias Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and the yeast Candida albicans. == References ==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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