Lysurus mokusin
The meetings of the Kaw Valley Mycological Society
are normally held downtown, one block from the Lawrence Public Library at 707 Vermont Street. In front of the library
are areas containing sculptures which are changed yearly. The ground
area around the sculptures is covered with wood chips. This was enough
of a substrate to develop a large fruiting of this unusual stinkhorn, which
club member John Thornburg spotted on the way to our meeting.
I collected several of the "eggs" and took them
home where I was very successful in "hatching" them and photographing them
before the flies consumed the fertile surface. However, it was a
constant challenge to keep the flies away long enough to take the photo.
by Ron Meyers