A Stinkhorn Triple! - Observation of the Week, 7/2/24

Our Observation of the Week is this trio of Phallus rubrovolvatus stinkhorn mushrooms (アカダマキヌガサタケ in Japanese), seen in Japan by @alinehorikawa!

Born and raised in Brazil, Aline Horikawa and her husband moved to Japan in 2017, and they were walking along Kyoto’s Kamo River last month when they decided to check out a nearby park and botanical garden. 

Walking around and observing so many plants, we noticed a bamboo grove, so we decided to stop and look at what could be there. To our surprise, there were some fungi and we especially noticed the Phallus rubrovolvatus. It was such an incredible surprise that I couldn't believe I was looking at a species like this. I only knew about it from photos on the internet and seeing it in person was wonderful.

Stinkhorn fungal fruiting bodies are pretty fantastical in appearance, with their well, phallic, stalks and lacy veils, but many of us would notice them first by odor. Their spores are contained in a thick, fragrant substance called gleba, and the smell attracts insects. The insects crawl around in the gleba, which sticks to their bodies and later falls off after they’ve moved away, thereby spreading the spores to new areas. 

I reached out to @masaki_hamaguchi, who provided the first Phallus rubrovolvatus identification to this observation, and asked him for more information about this species. He wrote,

Phallus rubrovolvatus has a reddish volva as its name suggests, which is a notable feature of this species. The veil is often shorter and the reticulation coarser than in complex Phallus indusiatus and its allies in Asia.

There may be several other characteristics, but in this observation, the red volva was visible and the form was typical of P. rubrovolvatus, so I judged it to be this species.

Masaki also linked me to this description of the species, which, according to Google Translate, notes that the gleba of this species has a “fruity” smell. 

Aline (above), says 

I have been interested in nature since I was a child in Brazil. I grew up in the countryside, in my grandparents’ house, with lots of plants and animals. I have always loved birds. I also liked playing in places with lots of greenery. I remember that my grandparents’ house had a waterfall and it was one of my favorite places. You could see fish swimming and occasionally I could see wild animals, snakes, lizards and many mammals, and that was impressive for a child.

In 2013 she started birdwatching (“the best choice of my life”), and her interests in nature have broadened well beyond just avians. 

Years later, I graduated as an Environmental Technician. I have done work that I am very proud of, with environmental preservation and fauna surveys in Brazil. In a region, the main job was to make sure that residents could live with wild animals in a more friendly way. Knowledge changes the world, you improve the quality of life of people and animals.

After moving to Japan she continued observing the “wonderful” flora and fauna there, finding new and exciting things every time she goes out. Through a friend, she discovered iNat in 2019. At first she just used it as a place for ID help, but as she got to know iNaturalist better she realized she could do much more with it. 

I started organizing my records to maintain a database for the region where I live, which is in Shiga Prefecture.The way I see the natural world has improved a lot. Knowledge opens doors and helps with environmental preservation.

I have met many researchers and can contribute important photos and information for serious conservation research, especially with birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. This makes me very happy and I can only do it because of iNaturalist. All life is important and this allows me to look at an insect or mammal in the same way.

(Photo of Aline by Gerson Horikawa. Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)

- you noticed the fly hanging out by the mushrooms, right?

- Masaki not only loves mushrooms, he’s also a magician! Check out his YouTube channel for videos on both subjects. 

- take a look at the most-faved observations of stinkhorns on iNat!

Publicado el 02 de julio de 2024 por tiwane