Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri)

Description

Meet Clathrus archeri, an otherworldly mushroom that resembles something out of a deep-sea fantasy! 🌍 Originating from southern Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, this peculiar fungus has spread its eerie charm across Europe and North America, becoming a global invasive species. While it's not edible, its appearance and odor alone will likely deter anyone from taking a bite! 🤢

🔴 Stage 1 – The Egg: It all starts innocently enough, with a small, white, egg-like structure nestled in the leaf litter. Don’t let its humble beginnings fool you—something strange is about to emerge!

🌀 Stage 2 – The Arms: Once it matures, the "egg" cracks open to reveal bright red to orange "arms" that burst forth, creating a starfish-like formation with 4-8 tentacles, each growing up to 12 cm long. These fleshy arms are coated with a sticky, blackish spore mass (called gleba) that attracts flies, helping to spread the spores. The foul, putrid scent it emits mimics rotting flesh, luring insects that inadvertently aid in its reproduction.

📜 Historical Origins: British mycologist Myles Joseph Berkeley first described this species in 1860, initially naming it Lysurus archeri. The name Clathrus, meaning "cage," refers to its mature shape, while the specific epithet "archeri" is a nod to its arching arms—though this interpretation may not be entirely accurate!

🌿 Where It Thrives: This saprotrophic fungus thrives in rich, decaying organic matter—think woodlands, grasslands, mulch, and forest floors, particularly in moist environments like beech and oak forests.

🦠 Evolutionary Quirk: Interestingly, the stench of Clathrus archeri has evolved similarly to some flowering plants, a case of convergent evolution! Both rely on their rotten-smelling aroma to attract flies and other insects for spore or seed dispersal.

🐕 Garden Hazard? No need to panic if your dog happens to nibble on one. While it’s far from appetizing, it’s not toxic to pets.

🧬 Fun Fact: In rare cases, Clathrus archeri can exhibit white arms instead of red, as seen in a variety found in the Shola Forests of India.

👃 Warning: If you ever encounter one, prepare yourself for its overpowering stench—this mushroom’s foul aroma isn’t for the faint-hearted!

📃 Common names: Octopus Stinkhorn, Devil's Fingers, German (Tintenfischpilz ), Netherlands (Inktviszwam), Czech Republic (Květnatec Archerův).

Mushroom Identification

1️⃣ Immature Fruiting Body: At first, you'll notice a whitish "egg" about 1.97 inches (5 cm) tall and 1.57 inches (4 cm) wide. The surface may have pinkish-brown spots, and if you slice it open, you'll see the developing stinkhorn encased in a brownish gelatinous layer. 🥚✨

2️⃣ Mature Fruiting Body: When fully grown, it stands between 3.15 to 6.7 inches (8 to 17 cm) tall with a base 1.18 to 1.97 inches (3 to 5 cm) wide. The stinkhorn’s 4-8 arms arise from a central stem and then spread outward like an octopus. 🐙🌟

3️⃣ Arms: The arms are 1.18 to 4.72 inches (3 to 12 cm) long, tapering to the tips. They’re bright red on the inner surface, paler outside, and fade to pink over time. The texture is pitted, spongy, and hollow. 🦑❤️

4️⃣ Pseudostem: This stalk-like structure is up to 1.57 inches (4 cm) tall, whitish at the base, and pinkish to reddish above. It's encased in a whitish volva and connected to white rhizomorphs. 🌱🔴

5️⃣ Volva: The sac-like base encases the fruiting body. It’s whitish with brownish spots and discolorations. 🏺🤍

6️⃣ Spore Slime: The arms' inner surfaces are coated with a dark brown to nearly black slimy substance that smells awful! This is where the spores live, waiting for flies to spread them. 💩🖤

7️⃣ Habitat: This mushroom loves decaying organic matter and can be found in urban areas, near woody debris, in lawns, and gardens. It fruits year-round depending on the climate, typically in subtropical, tropical, and Mediterranean regions, including Oceania, Europe, Asia, eastern Africa, and northern California. 🌍🍂

8️⃣ Microscopic Features: Spores are 4.5–6 x 1.5–2 µm, smooth, and subcylindric. The pseudostem's cells are mostly round, with 1 µm thick walls. The volva hyphae are smooth, septate, and 3–7 µm wide, but clamp connections are absent. 🔬👁️

Synonyms and Varieties

• Lysurus archeri Berk. (1859)

• Anthurus archeri (Berkeley) E. Fischer (1886), Jahrbuch des königlichen botanischen gartens und des botanischen Museums zu Berlin, 4, p. 81

• Anthurus aseroiformis (E. Fischer) McAlpine (1908), in Lloyd, Mycological writings, 2, mycological notes n° 31, p. 408, fig. 244

• Anthurus macowanii Lloyd (1916), Mycological writings, 4, mycological notes n° 41, p. 570, fig. 779

• Anthurus muellerianus f. aseroeformis E. Fischer (1890), Neue denkschriften der allgemeinen schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die gesammten naturwissenschaften, 32(2), p. 68

• Anthurus muellerianus Kalchbrenner (1880), Értekezések a természettudományok Köréböl, kiadja a magyar tudományos Akadémia, 10(17), p. 22, tab. 3, fig. 3

• Anthurus muellerianus var. aseroeformis(E. Fischer) E. Fischer (1898), in Engler & Prantl, Die natürlichen pflanzenfamilien, 1(1**), p. 288

• Anthurus sepioides McAlpine (1904), Victorian Naturalist, 20, p. 42

• Anthurus surinamensis E. Fischer (1927), Annales mycologici, edii in notitiam scientiae mycologicae universalis, 25(5-6), p. 471

• Aserophallus archeri (Berk.) Kuntze 1891

• Clathrus archeri var. archeri (Berk.) Dring 1980

• Lysurus muellerianus (Kalchbrenner) Hennings (1902), Hedwigia: Beiblatt zur Hedwigia, 41(5), p. (172)

• Lysurus pentactinus Berkeley (1860), in J.D. Hooker, The botany of the Antarctic voyage III, flora Tasmaniae, 2, p. tab. 184

• Lysurus surinamensis (E. Fischer) E. Fischer (1933), Annales mycologici, edii in notitiam scientiae mycologicae universalis, 31(3), p. 124

• Pseudocolus archeri (Berkeley) Lloyd (1913), Mycological writings, 4, letter n° 47, p. 14

• Schizmaturus archeri (Berkeley) Locquin (1977), Bulletin trimestriel de la Fédération mycologique Dauphiné-Savoie, 17(65), p. 18

• Schizmaturus aseroiformis (E. Fischer) Locquin (1977), Bulletin trimestriel de la Fédération mycologique Dauphiné-Savoie, 17(65), p. 18

• Schizmaturus muellerianus (Kalchbrenner) Locquin (1977), Bulletin trimestriel de la Fédération mycologique Dauphiné-Savoie, 17(65), p. 18

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Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: leonlobo (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Said Bustany (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: JeanRoulin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: gailhampshire (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo 5 - Author: Bernard Spragg (Public Domain)