Phallus

genus of fungus

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The genus Phallus refers to a type of fungus belonging to the order Phallales, commonly known as stinkhorns. These fungi are characterized by their phallus-like, ill-smelling fruiting bodies. The foul odor serves to attract insects, such as flies, which then help to disperse the fungus's spores. Stinkhorns often appear suddenly, with their spore-producing tissue (gleba) erupting from an underground "egg" and becoming slimy and fetid as they mature. Other genera within this order include Mutinus, Dictyophora, Simblum, and Clathrus. Fungi reproduce by releasing vast quantities of spores, which can be produced asexually or through sexual reproduction involving the fusion of nuclei from two sex cells.123

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stinkhorn
…in the temperate zone include Phallus, Mutinus, Dictyophora, Simblum, and Clathrus.
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…in the temperate zone include Phallus, Mutinus, Dictyophora, Simblum, and Clathrus.
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mimicry
Carrion flowers, stinkhorn mushrooms, and mosses
mushrooms of the genus Phallus, found in woodlands and meadows of the Northern Hemisphere. The cap of the young stinkhorn is covered with a thick, greenish-black, shiny layer of gelatinous spore slime (gleba), which is eaten by blowflies and other insects attracted by the carrion-like odor. The spores pass…
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mushrooms of the genus Phallus, found in woodlands and meadows of the Northern Hemisphere. The cap of the young stinkhorn is covered with a thick, greenish-black, shiny layer of gelatinous spore slime (gleba), which is eaten by blowflies and other insects attracted by the carrion-like odor. The spores pass…
Read More