Red Cage (Clathrus ruber) with flesh fly in attendance
Regular viewers will know that I have become a little obsessed - perhaps unhealthily so - with the fungus known as Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri) that originates from Australasia but which is becoming more common in the UK. I was therefore very happy indeed (understatement) to find its close relative, the Red Cage fungus, Clathrus ruber (possibly native or at least established for a long time) within walking distance of my Dorset cottage today. It was bigger than I had expected, around 12cm across, and for the moment was still a perfectly intact 'cage'. And yes, exactly the same smell of putrefying flesh as its relative, Clathrus archeri...
Red Cage (Clathrus ruber) with flesh fly in attendance
Regular viewers will know that I have become a little obsessed - perhaps unhealthily so - with the fungus known as Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri) that originates from Australasia but which is becoming more common in the UK. I was therefore very happy indeed (understatement) to find its close relative, the Red Cage fungus, Clathrus ruber (possibly native or at least established for a long time) within walking distance of my Dorset cottage today. It was bigger than I had expected, around 12cm across, and for the moment was still a perfectly intact 'cage'. And yes, exactly the same smell of putrefying flesh as its relative, Clathrus archeri...