Colus pusillus
Species of fungus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Colus pusillus is a species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. It is found in Australia.[2] It is sometimes known as the craypot stinkhorn or basket stinkhorn, a reference to the unique appearance of the fruiting bodies which consist of vivid red, wrinkled arms that branch and connect to form a cage-like structure reminiscent to that of the related species Clathrus ruber. This fungus is saprobic and makes frequent appearances on garden mulch as a result.
| Colus pusillus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Colus pusillus growing on woodchip mulch, Brisbane, Queensland | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Phallales |
| Family: | Phallaceae |
| Genus: | Colus |
| Species: | C. pusillus |
| Binomial name | |
| Colus pusillus (Berk.) Reichert | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Like all stinkhorns, the fruit body of C. pusillus begins as an egg-like structure. The eggs of C. pusillus are typically off-white, with a red/purple tinge and a faint latticed pattern on the surface. They are anchored to the substrate by one or more root-like rhizomorphs: thickened mycelial strands. The membrane of the "egg" soon ruptures, releasing the rapidly expanding mature receptacle, which can reach a height of around 15 cm. The interior of the cage is covered by an unevenly distributed glebal slime, which contains the fungal spores. This slime is olive-green in colour and has a foul smell, which attracts insects that distribute the fungus' spores to a suitable location.
