A small stinkhorn that emerges from a whitish egg as a hollow, spongy white to pale orange stalk topped by 4-7 pointed, clawlike orange arms coated with foul-smelling brown spore slime. The slime attracts flies, which spread the spores. It is common in lawns, landscaping and gardens in North America. North American guides have often misapplied the name Lysurus (or Anthurus) gardneri, an Asian and African species, to it.
Not recommended. The egg stage may be edible, but the spore slime can leave a lasting unpleasant aftertaste (Arora, as cited by Wikipedia); its edibility is otherwise poorly documented. It has no close toxic look-alikes, but unidentified eggs should not be eaten because young Amanita buttons can resemble stinkhorn eggs; cutting an egg lengthwise shows the gelatinous layer and developing arms rather than a cap and gills.
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Habitat
Saprobic. Single or in groups in urban settings such as lawns, landscaped beds and gardens. Summer, or year-round in warm climates.
Distribution
Widely distributed in North America; also known from South America, Africa, Asia and Australia, and especially common in the Southern Hemisphere.
Characteristics
Egg: whitish, up to about 2 cm wide and 3 cm high, attached to white rhizoids. Stem: 3-6 cm long, 0.5-1 cm thick, round in cross-section, whitish to pale orange, pocketed, spongy and hollow, its base in a white volva. Arms: 4-7, 1-2 cm long, pointed and clawlike, folded inward with tips touching at first, then separating and standing free; dark to pale orange, hollow, wrinkled in accordion-like folds. Gleba: dark brown spore slime coating the arms, malodorous. Spores: 2.5-4 x 1.5-2 um, elongated-ellipsoid, smooth.
