Dakota Busher

Classification: Clathrus Columnatus

Geographic Range: They are found mainly in the southeast but have been found in places as far north as Pennsylvania.

Habitat: They usually grow in urban settings. They are found mainly in the winter months, on wood chips or mulched areas.

Development: They arise from a partially submerged “egg” that is attached to the ground with long cords. They then grow their arms and secrete their stinkhorn slime. After about two weeks they fall to a pill of slime and eventually dry out.

Physical Description: They have no stem. They consist of two to five hollow “arms” that reach upward and connect at the top. The inside is filled with olive colored slime that smells horrible and attracts flies.

Reproduction: Their stinkhorn slime is what dispenses the spores. Birds eat the slime and then carry it to a new place. The spores germinate on the ground.

Lifespan: After a few weeks they dry out.

Behavior: They are solitary and sessile.

Food Habits: They break down and absorb their food through their hyphea.