Habitat
This species is found in gardens, leaf litter, and broad-leaved woodlands. It commonly grows in lignin-rich environments such as wood chip mulch, parklands, and under bamboo. It typically appears on soil in small groups or troops.
Photos
Appearance
- Fruit body
- Starts as a partially buried, egg-shaped white or ochraceous volva, measuring 2.5 to 5 cm. Upon maturing, it splits to release 4 to 8 red or coral-pink arms that arch outward, resembling a starfish, squid, or octopus.
- Arms
- Typically 4 to 10 cm long with a spongy, honeycombed texture and bumpy or ribbed surfaces. Initially joined at the tips, they quickly separate and curve toward the ground.
- Gleba
- An olive-green to blackish slimy spore mass found on the inner or upper surfaces of the arms.
- Flesh
- The egg stage is rubbery with a gelatinous interior, while the mature structure is spongy.
- Odor
- Extremely foul and repulsive, ranging from a radish-like scent in the egg stage to the smell of rotting meat or feces when mature.
- Spore print
- Olive-brown.
Sporecast is better in the app
Plan ahead with 10-day forecasts, see what people are finding nearby, get photo IDs, and track your finds.
Edibility
While nontoxic, this species is generally considered not edible due to its repulsive, fetid odor of rotting meat or feces. The taste is mild to radish-like in the rubbery egg stage, and though some people consume them at that point, mature specimens are likely to induce vomiting because of the nauseating spore mass.
Misidentification can be fatal. Never eat a mushroom unless you're 100% sure. This information may be inaccurate. Always consult multiple sources.
Nutrient Source
SaprotrophicIt obtains nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter, such as decaying leaves and wood.
Common Names
- Basque
- izar gorri, lore faltsua
- Danish
- Blækspruttesvamp
- Dutch
- Inktviszwam
- English
- Devil's Fingers
- French
- Pieuvre des bois, Anthurus d'Archer, Doigts du diable, Anthurus étoilé
- German
- Tintenfischpilz
- Norwegian Bokmål
- blekksprutsopp
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- blekksprutsopp
- Spanish
- Falsa flor
- Swedish
- bläckfisksvamp, bläckfiskssvamp
- Welsh
- Bysedd Cythraul
Synonyms
- Anthurus archeri
- Anthurus aseroeformis
- Anthurus aseroeformis
- Aserophallus archeri
- Lysurus archeri
- Pseudocolus archeri
- Schizmaturus archeri
- Schizmaturus muellerianus