This beautiful orange critter, I'm guessing is a fungus. It's top looks like a cap was torn off, but there were several just like it, no caps around. Less than 10 cm (maybe 3 1/2 inches) tall. Located central Indiana USA in May. Concealed under low, ground hugging branches of a crab apple, an environment which unfortunately could not be preserved. Any ideas what it is, anybody? Is there another place I should be posting this question? Later: This is great! So now I've read on this board about the stinkhorns, some that sure look similar, but there was no odor around these.
could it be a Lysurus or a close related stinkhorn ? you've said that there was no odor around it, perhaps it's not mature yet? as far as I know, not all species of stinkhorns have an awful smell at first. Regards
Fantastic interesting mushroom.... Or a mutinus sp. whitout cap....or a lysurus, or colus... have you got other photoes???
The top looks to me as though it might have been bitten off (sliced from two sides, with two little tears where the cuts join), perhaps by a squirrel or a rabbit.
Thanks to all who respond. It is the only photo I have of it. The dank environment is no longer available to it, and it has not reappeared, though I would imagine eggs persist in the cedar mulch. I agree it looks like it's been decapped, which is why I note that all of several specimens were the same. Animal interference is a possibility, I suppose.
