Mutinus caninus
Mutinus caninus, commonly known as the dog stinkhorn, is a small thin, phallus-shaped woodland fungus, with a dark tip. It is often found growing in small groups on wood debris or in leaf litter during summer and autumn in Eurasia and eastern North America. It is not generally considered edible, but there are reports of the immature 'eggs' being consumed.
Taxonomy
The genus name Mutinus was a phallic deity, Mutinus Titinus, one of the Roman di indigetes placated by Roman brides, and caninus means "dog-like" in Latin. Mutinus is the diminutive of muto, a Latin word for Penis. It was described initially by William Hudson, a noted British botanist. Its common names in French, Phallus de Chien, Satyre des chiens, also hint at its resemblance to a dog penis. It is commonly known as the "dog stinkhorn".Description
This small member of the family Phallaceae emerges from an off-white egg-like fruiting body that lies half buried in leaf litter on the woodland floor. White mycelial cords, are often visible beneath this 'egg', which is high, and wide. The 'egg' has a tough outer skin, which covers a gelatinous inner layer, which in turn protects the fully formed, but unexpanded fruiting body. When the ‘egg’ splits open the fungus expands rapidly, to its full height of. It is around thick, and is either yellowish-white, yellow, or pale orange. The split egg is retained as a volva-like sack, at the base. The column is very fragile, pitted, and cylindrical. It has a pointed tip, and is usually curved. The tip is covered in the spore bearing matter which is a dark olive-brown paste, and has a smell which is irresistible to insects. Beneath the spore mass the tip is dark orange. Although its smell is not as strong as the related common stinkhorn, it has been described as smelling like cat faeces.American mycologist Sanford Myron Zeller described an albino form of the fungus based on collections made in Warrengon, Oregon. It is essentially identical to the regular form but pure white throughout, except for the gleba. This form, named M. caninus var. albus, was first mentioned in the scientific literature by Edward Angus Burt in 1896.