Weird fungus?

[martin butterfield <>]

David 

Pretty sure it is Clathrus archeri [= Anthurus archeri].  I will send you a separate message (a bit too big for the line) including an image.

Martin

On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 10:07 AM, David Rosalky <> wrote:

In my garden at Broulee, I have encountered a very weird thing that someone may be able to identify.

 

My wife told me of something that looked like a crab claw in the garden.  I found what she was referring to, but it was not an animal.  It had four (as I recall) symmetrical arms, red in colour and each arm divided at the end with two yellowish sharp points – looking all the world like crab claws.  I moved it gently with my foot and it broke open leaving bits of what looked like fungal material a hollow tube in the middle out of which many slaters (woodlice) emerged.  The next morning the “thing” had disappeared.  (I swear it was not a dream!)

 

Dimensions:  tube about 1-2cm, diameter of whole body about 8-10cm.  It sat on the ground, so it did not have height like a mushroom.

 

Any ideas or should I consult a shrink?

 

David Rosalky