What is it? (Off topic)

["David Rosalky" <>]

Watch it mature and produce a very realistic simulation of liquid dung. The one you have looked close to doing so.  Lasts for a few days and attracts flies.  Amazing things.  I get them in my garden at Broulee.

 

From: Anthony Overs [
Sent: Friday, 6 April 2012 9:57 AM
To: Rod's Gardening
Cc:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] What is it? (Off topic)

 

It's the anemone stinkhorn (or sea anemone fungus or starfish fungus), Aseroe rubra.

Denis Wilson has a blog post on this species http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2010/02/weird-and-wonderful-starfish-fungi.html.

I also had one in my garden recently http://www.flickr.com/photos/aovers/6662664603/in/photostream

Anthony

On 6 April 2012 09:43, Rod's Gardening <m("grapevine.com.au","rodsgardening");" target="_blank">> wrote:

Apologies for this off topic posting, but the Chatline being the great font of knowledge that it is I thought maybe one of our learned contributors could assist in identifying this growth. The attached photos were taken December 2010 and since then similar growths have appeared on several occasions around our garden, the most recent being yesterday. It seems to be a great fly attractant, yesterdays specimen being covered in them.  The first photo shows size relative to the base of a young lemon tree, the second (if a bit fuzzy) shows size relative to the fly on it, plus its quite pretty colouring and slightly bizarre shape. 

 

Cheers, happy Easter to all.

 

Rod    

.

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