Thursday, September 12, 2013

Hidden talent: Finder of Ravenel Stinkhorn Mushrooms



On my way to get an almond croissant this morning and I stopped in my tracks. The unmistakable smell of stinkhorn hit me. Up in the air went my nose. The smell was so strong, I thought I’d turn around and find a field of them staring back at me with their one, cycloptic eye. Not getting too close, realizing it might be a private residence and not a College owned building. Poking around the woodchipped landscape, I couldn’t find anything.

As I walked away, there it was. The smell again. And then I saw the midget stinkhorn. All by itself. What it lacked in height, it made up for in epic stink.
 
A most stunning fungus.


This is a talent I never thought I’d have. I mean, it never even occurred to me (having never heard of stinkhorn mushrooms until five years ago). But I’m adding this to my resume of what I can do really well: 

“I am a locator of Ravenel Stinkhorn mushrooms.”  There are not many people who can make this claim. 
My nine year old son also has this talent. Heather and Huxley: Stinkhorn Hunters.

PS: I would like to extend this talent out to “Locator of chantrelles and lion’s mane and morels”. But, one mushroom at a time.

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