Archive - Octopus Stinkhorn
October 27, 2019
Each Sunday we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD was originally published October 26, 2013.
Photographer: Michael Tyurin
Summary Author: Michael Tyurin
The photo above showing a fungus known as the Octopus Stinkhorn (Clathrus archeri) was taken this past July in a forest near the western Ukrainian village of Chop. It's also called the color-tail Archer and mushroom-cuttlefish. The name Archeri is given in honor of the Irish mycologist W. Archer. This star-like fungus resembles a flower and at maturity, has a diameter of about 4-6 in (10-15 cm). The Octopus Stinkhorn has a putrid odor and though it's said to taste as foul as its odor, it's considered edible. It's indigenous to Australia. Elsewhere it's considered an alien species. In recent decades, it's been increasingly noticed in Eastern Europe, typically in moist meadows and deciduous forests. The bright red tentacles or arms of the stinkhorn are observed from mid to late summer.
Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS 20D; Lens: 75.0-300.0 mm; Focal Length: 130mm; Aperture: f/5.0; Exposure Time: 0.010 s (1/100); ISO equiv: 800; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.4 (Windows).
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