Phallus impudicus grows across North America and Europe, and despite its scent at maturity, it is edible, especially when young.

The names Penis Mushroom, Common Stinkhorn and Phallus impudicus all refer to the same mushroom and will be used interchangeably throughout this article. Once most of the slime has been removed by flies, the cap surface is revealed to be pitted, very much like a morel-stinkhorns are even referred to as morels in some older sources. The spores and their slime are exuded by the outer surface of the cap, making it appear smooth. There will be no off-color puns or innuendos here.Īnother common name, “common stinkhorn,” refers to the species’ scent rather than its shape stinkhorns as a group are notable for having spores that are dispersed by flies rather than by wind, and the mushroom recruits flies by mixing its spores in a layer of slime that smells very strongly of rotting animal flesh. That is why readers are encouraged to get their giggles out of the way now, so we can get on with discussing a mushroom that is also interesting for other reasons. Its scientific name literally means “immodest penis,” and “penis mushroom” is one of its common names, so it’s not like anyone has not noticed the resemblance. That the species has a habit of suddenly fruiting in otherwise-respectable lawns and gardens only adds to the social awkwardness.

Mature specimens look like an unusually long and somewhat thin penis, and they don’t look like anything else. Some mushrooms resemble human penises it is a fact generally unmentioned by polite society, but difficult to ignore, especially for species like Phallus impudicus, which is actually difficult to describe any other way.

Mushroom stamp