A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Unknown plant

Hi all. This is my first post, so if I mess up, please forgive me. Okay, here's the reason I'm posting....

I have a strange plant growing in my front yard, and I've searched everywhere (internet, books, etc.), and cannot find this plant pictured or described anywhere.

It comes out in the mornings, but dies down in the heat of the day. It's leafless and flowerless. Tubular in shape (and hollow inside). About 3-4" tall. It's base is pink, it's tip dark brown or maroon and kind of pointed. And this thing smells horrible.

Anyone have any ideas what it is?

Thanks, Sue

sounds like dictyophora indusiata ' stinkhorn mushroom '

Yes, it must be a stinkhorn. There's one that's called something like "phallus caninus" or something similar, translation "dog d**k" !!!

Hey, RugbyHukr, I just noticed (not that I've ever paid attention) that you were eighth after me to join this site. Cool that you're into mushrooms, too. Do you collect wild mushrooms?

I like to collect, cook & eat morels. Other than that I take the advice of my ID books; "never eat a wild mushroom, unless you are absolutely sure of it's ID"

Many poisonous shrooms look like the edible kinds. But, nothing else looks like a morel.

Excellent when sauted in butter with wild ramps.

While I agree never put stuff in your mouth without knowing what it is in our area there is a entire group of mushrooms that, like morels, can not be confused with poisonous types. Happy gardening

Sue
Last year just outside of the exit where l work, we have a few raised beds for plant's. This particular bed was very wet due to overhead gutters spilling over. It is our secret little place where we go to have a ciggy each day thereafter we were all watching it with great humour as it looked an exact replica of a phallus, within 2months it had grown to about 8inches. It caused a lot of laughter and interest at the college.
I have never known a plant to be photographed by so many people , you can just imagine the remarks and innuendoes .
I did some research on it and found out it was called "The Horn of Plenty".
Must say your specimen is a lot more spectacular than our's was.
Unfortunately they repaired the leaking gutter, so we have not had the fun this year, the earth was to dry
doreen.