Dog Stinkhorn
Mutinus caninus (Huds. ex Pers.) Fr.
Status: EN. A decorative species, used in folk medicine.
Description. The young fruiting body is oval or egg-shaped, sometimes elongated, white, 2 - 3 cm in diameter. The peridium splits at the top into 2 - 3 lobes upon maturation and remains at the base of the fruiting body. The receptacle is cylindrical, hollow, spongy, orange-yellow or pale reddish-orange, 5.5 - 12 cm tall and 0.4-1 cm thick, tapering at the top and transitioning into a head. The head is thin, not thicker than the base of the receptacle, covered with an olive-green slimy gleba with a sharp unpleasant odor. Spores are almost colorless, broadly ellipsoidal, 3.5 - 5.5 x 1.5 - 2.5 µm.
Biological features. Not studied. Found in September.
Distribution general and in the country. Russia, Western Europe, North America, Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul Lake basin, the village of Chon-Uryukty.
Habitat. Coniferous forests, shrub thickets, in grass on clearings, in parks. On soil rich in humus and organic remains, sometimes on heavily decayed wood. Always in moist places.
Population. Very rare. Forms groups of 3 - 6 specimens.
Limiting factors. Deforestation, hence the reduction of natural habitats of the species.
Cultivation. Maintained in the collection of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Existing conservation measures. Included in the Red Book of the USSR (1984), the Red Book of Russia (1988). No special conservation measures have been developed.
Recommended conservation measures. Habitat preservation, clarification of the range.
Dog Stinkhorn
Mutinus caninus (Huds. ex Pers.) Fr.
Dog Stinkhorn
Mutinus caninus (Huds. ex Fers.) Fr.
Status: EN. This is a very rare decorative fungus with disjunctive distribution in the Holarctic. It has traditional values in medicine and occurs in groups of 3-6 specimens, in damp humus soils in fir woods, bushes, and parks, sometimes on musty timber; it was registered in the Kungei Ala-Too Mountain Range in September. The limiting factor is the reduction of virgin habitat area; the species is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and is cultivated in Russia. Preservation of habitats and study of the distribution are recommended as conservation options for this species.
