Mutinus elegans

Mutinus elegans

The elegant stinkhorn, the dog stinkhorn, headless stinkhorn or devil’s dipstick (Mutinus elegans (Mont.) E. Fisch., 1888) is a saprophytic mushroom belonging to the Phallaceae family.

Systematics –
Domain Eukaryota,
Kingdom Fungi,
Division Basidiomycota,
Class Basidiomycetes,
Order Phallales,
Family Phallaceae,
Genus Mutinus,
Species M. elegans.
The following terms are synonymous:
– Caromyxa elegans Mont. (1856);
– Caryomyxa elegans Mont. (1856);
– Corynites elegans Mont. (1856).

Etymology –
The term Mutinus refers to the Roman deity Mutunus Tutunus, a phallic marriage deity who, until the first century BC, helped young Latin wives have relations with their husbands.
The specific epithet elegans derives from the Latin term meaning “graceful” or “elegant.”

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Mutinus elegans is a saprophytic mushroom that feeds on dead or decomposing organic matter; it grows in woodlands or grassy clearings from spring to autumn, on organic plant debris. It is commonly found in gardens and farmland enriched with manure, near well-rotted stumps and logs, and in wood chips.
This mushroom is present in Europe and Japan, but also in North America, where it was discovered in 1679 by the English missionary John Banister.
A Japanese publication mentioned its presence in Takatsuki and Osaka-fu, where it fruited in November and December on the ground along paths or in open spaces, under or near bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) and broadleaf trees such as the saw-tooth oak, the Japanese zelkova, and the camphor tree.
This common species has been collected in eastern North America, from Quebec to Florida and west to the Great Lakes, Iowa, Colorado, and Texas. In Europe, it has been reported in the Netherlands and Asia, and, as mentioned, it has been collected in Japan.

Recognition –
Mutinus elegans is a mushroom whose fruiting bodies initially develop within the peridium, then emerge, tearing the membrane, as the spores approach spore maturation. This genesis defines hemiangiocarpic development.
The cap is located at the upper end of the stipe, conical in shape, almost pointed, with a perforated tip. It is bright red and indistinguishable from the stipe except for its color.
The hymenophore appears as a greenish mucilaginous layer (gleba) that completely covers the cap. The hymenophore is made up of a greenish mucilaginous layer. It contains spores that are visited by flies and other necrophagous insects attracted by the strong odor of rotting flesh.
The stem consists of a slightly tapered cylindrical body, which starts out red and fades to pink toward the base. This base features a sort of volva, the remnant of the torn peridium, from which highly developed mycelial cords (rhizomorphs) emerge, pseudo-roots consisting of a dense network of mycelial hyphae. The fruiting body, so called, averages 8-12 cm in height, of which the cap represents about 1/3, with a diameter of 1-2 cm.
The flesh is pinkish white, spongy, and fragile.
It emits a strong, cadaverous odor, attracting, as mentioned, blowflies or other necrophagous insects that land on the sticky, fertile gleba containing the spores, removing the entire surface, thus becoming vectors for the propagation of the spores themselves.
Under the microscope, yellowish, ellipsoid, biguttulate spores (containing two tiny oily droplets) measuring 4-6 x 2-3 µm are visible. They have a hilar scar at one end (0.2-0.3 µm in diameter), a sort of incision most likely formed when the spore detaches from the sterigma.

Cultivation –
There is no evidence of cultivation of this mushroom, although possible future studies could suggest its cultivation due to some antibiotic properties, which will be discussed later.

Uses and Traditions –
Mutinus elegans is a mushroom from the Phallaceae family, which includes fungi characterized by developing within a globular envelope called the “peridium,” composed of two layers (endoperidium and exoperidium) that enclose the gleba, defined as the fertile component responsible for spore formation.
This mushroom was first described by British missionary John Banister in 1679, who described the natural history of Virginia; this early account is believed to be the first report of a mushroom in North America. It was first scientifically characterized by French scientist Jean Pierre François Camille Montagne in 1856, who named it Corynites elegans.
It is a saprobic species that typically grows on the ground, singly or in small groups, on woody debris or leaf litter, during the summer and autumn in Japan, Europe, and eastern North America. Due to their repulsive odor, mature specimens are generally not considered edible, although there are reports of immature “ovules” being consumed. In the laboratory, Mutinus elegans has been shown to inhibit the growth of several microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans.
Laboratory tests have shown that this mushroom has antibiotic properties against some bacteria and fungi that are particularly aggressive to humans, such as Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and the yeast Candida albicans.
Mutinus elegans, however, is not considered edible. The immature ovules of M. elegans are edible, but “not recommended.” A field guide notes that the ovules “taste like the seasonings added to them.” The fetid odor of mature specimens would likely be repulsive to most, although they are not considered poisonous.
Related species include the following:
– Mutinus caninus, which is less common and smaller; it has a distinct oval or spindle-shaped tip on a thin stipe and lacks the bright coloration of M. elegans; it has a smaller portion of the stipe covered with gleba. The portion of the stipe below the spore mass is dotted in M. caninus, compared to the “pebbly” portion in M. elegans.
– Mutinus bambusinus is similar in size and shape, except that it lacks a clear color demarcation between the upper and lower portions of the stipe; instead, the entire stipe displays red pigments. The stipe of M. ravenelii is less tapered than that of M. elegans and has a swollen, clearly differentiated cap.
– The normally pinkish Phallus rubicundus and the orange P. rugulosus both have conical caps.

Preparation Instructions –
Mutinus elegans is not considered edible, even though some parts of the young ovules have been consumed.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Cetto B., 2008. I funghi dal vero, Saturnia, Trento.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (eds.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.

Photo Source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/512416071/original.jpg

Warning: The pharmaceutical applications and dietary uses are provided for informational purposes only and do not in any way constitute medical prescriptions. We therefore decline any responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic, or nutritional purposes.