Unidentified white underground fungus in mixed woodland

[veryfasteddie]

Hello
I was out in the woods today helping with some footpath renewal, and these three fungi bounced out of the ground!
The largest is about 8 cm by 6 cm, the other two are about 5 cm in diameter; the combined weight of all three is 180 grams.
The trees above them were mainly mature oak and ash; there were rowan, holly and beech around too, but not immediately next to where they appeared.
They're dry and rubbery, and seemingly quite dense. They just smell lightly of mushrooms when rubbed, and don't discolour.
Any clues?
If you need any other info or better pictures then let me know.

[Chris Yeates]

hi and welcome to WAB

if these are fungal I know someone who is extremely good at ID-ing hypogeous fungi (truffles and truffle-like fungi - they can belong to a wide range of fungal groups); it does look rather like an ascomycete - Choiromyces meandriformis - trust me if it is this as it dries it will start to have a smell which is not simply 'mushroomy'

see: Rogers Mushrooms - Choiromyces meandriformis Mushroom but do bear in mind that microscopic examination will be needed for a positive ID


I would gently dry them so that they can be looked at at leisure in the future; however while they are fresh a photo of a cross section cut with a scalpel or sharp knife would be very helpful

cheers

Chris

[veryfasteddie]

Thanks Chris
I'll slice one open and take a photo in the daylight tomorrow. Where would be a good place to dry them? Would an airing cupboard be suitable, or might they dry too quickly? Is the smell likely to be strong/unpleasant? If so, I'll hide them in a friend's airing cupboard instead ;o)
Cheers
Kevin

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by veryfasteddie

Thanks Chris
I'll slice one open and take a photo in the daylight tomorrow. Where would be a good place to dry them? Would an airing cupboard be suitable, or might they dry too quickly? Is the smell likely to be strong/unpleasant? If so, I'll hide them in a friend's airing cupboard instead ;o)
Cheers
Kevin

The cross-section should help with deciding whether they are fungal or not.
The smell shouldn't be disgusting . . . . I would be tempted to cut them all in half to aid drying if they are as large as you say; an airing cupboard would be fine as would a warm window sill, or near a boiler - they are perhaps a bit big but cardboard egg boxes are good as they help with the extraction of moisture - see: Fungi Transportation & Microscope Advice Please?

good luck

Chris

[veryfasteddie]

Hi Chris
Some further images for you. They look incredible in the flesh!!
Cheers
Kevin

[waynehicks1]

Kevin

I think you might have found the egg stage of Phallus impudicus or the common Stinkhorn.

Regards

Wayne

[fairplay]

Well done Kevin, I think you had everyone confused there, no doubt about them being Stinkhorn 'eggs' and I have certainly seen them this misshapen before, but like Chris, I immediately thought 'truffle' (ish).

I guess any other wabbers who may have thought Stinkhorn, were then reluctant to disagree with someone with so much experience (mind, Chris does frequently point out his experience is more aligned to the smaller fungi)

Keep the eggs in a little water, head up, and see if they may still 'burst forth' - be warned, they will pong - awfully!

Neil.

[Kayleigh]

Oh, that's a shame you dug it up as the later stage is far more interesting it would have been good to see all the developing stages..
Does it smell at this early stage..

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Oh, that's a shame you dug it up as the later stage is far more interesting it would have been good to see all the developing stages..
Does it smell at this early stage..

All replies please to be posted after the 9pm watershed.
(I don't know, but I wonder if photos of Phallus impudicus, emit pheromones which wabbers from other WAB forums may detect) ?

Neil.

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Well done Kevin, I think you had everyone confused there, no doubt about them being Stinkhorn 'eggs' and I have certainly seen them this misshapen before, but like Chris, I immediately thought 'truffle' (ish).

I guess any other wabbers who may have thought Stinkhorn, were then reluctant to disagree with someone with so much experience (mind, Chris does frequently point out his experience is more aligned to the smaller fungi)

Keep the eggs in a little water, head up, and see if they may still 'burst forth' - be warned, they will pong - awfully!

Neil.

How kind!

The word rubbery should have been a big clue - ah, the pitfalls of photographs (and hoping for the unusual!)

Take them outside whatever you do! The remarkable thing is that both halves will continue to expand even though the fruitbody has been bisected; this is because the stinkhorn is expanding at this stage rather than growing.

How appropriate to see them in an egg-box though

Chris