Ileodictyon gracile

Description

Ileodicyton gracile is common in forests and woodlands, coastal heaths and urban areas throughout the southwest. It belongs to a group commonly referred to as stinkhorns. The latticed basket-like structure develops within a spherical receptacle or ‘egg’ from which it erupts in the later stages of development. The ‘eggs’ may develop to be about 30mm in diameter. The fully developed, but tightly packed, basket eventually erupts (front left) and rapidly expands to its full size of about 80mm diameter when the ‘egg’ splits.

The spore mass, which sticks to the lattice structure, has a foul odor that attracts flies and other insects that help to spread the spores.

Unlike many similar mushrooms, it often detaches itself from its base.

This species has often been confused with Ileodictyon cibarium. It is of similar size, shape, and color, but it differs by having much narrower, mostly smooth arms which become noticeably broader at their junction and which are quite flattened in cross-section.

Common names: Smooth Cage.

Mushroom Identification

1. Ecology

   Saprobic; growing alone or gregariously; in woods or cultivated areas; year-round in tropical and subtropical areas; Australia, Tasmania, Samoa, Japan, Africa, and Europe.

2. Fruiting Body

   Initially, a whitish "egg" up to 3 cm across, attached to white cords; rupturing, with the mature fruiting body emerging as a more or less round, cage-like structure, 4-20 cm across, forming 10-30 polygons; arms smooth, somewhat flattened, about 5 mm in diameter but thickened at the intersections, white underneath the olive-brown spore slime (formed on the inner surfaces of the arms); the egg tissue creating a whitish volva, but the mature structure detaching from it.

3. Microscopic Features

   Spores 4.5-6 x 1.5-2.5 µ; ellipsoid; smooth.

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Jean and Fred Hort (Attribution 2.0 Generic)