Identify this please

[johnbaxter]

I found this one while walking on the Quantock Hills in Somerset on Sep. 29th.
The forest was mainly fir trees with a few birch. Within 10 m of this fungus were two classically shaped Phallus impudicus. I'm only a beginner at this fungi business but I've looked through a few books and can't find any reference to three fruit bodies emerging from a single egg. Any ideas?

John

[Geoff23]

It's the same species. It's the mushroom equivalent of siamese twins.

[TeresaW]

It's a Stinkhorn - Phallus Impudicus, but triplets?

[fairplay]

There must have been 3 yolks.

Neil.

[TeresaW]

One quick question on these, sorry to hijack the thread but it is on the same fungi.

How long is it from the egg stage to fully formed fruit? I say this because yesterday I found lots of the egg stage around a spindle, with one damaged fully formed fruit. I wasn't able to get down there today (ongoing battle with BT engineers, long story, two years long in fact, but I won ), so will they be around tomorrow?

[fairplay]

They frequently pop out over night, and some people claim they can only take 2 hours to fully emerge.

The photo of 3 in 1 (or is that 2 1/2 in 1 )? is very unusual or possibly very rare as I've never come across this before.

Yes, the BT engineers will be back tomorrow with reinforcements.

Neil.

[TeresaW]

Thanks Neil

[johnbaxter]

Thanks, any thoughts that it could be the result of herbicide use? I remember some really weird mutations in the early 1970s.

[fairplay]

Who knows ? - weird ain't it.

Neil.