I found this strange looking growth at the base of a blueberry bush that has been struggling for a couple of months. I unfortunately kicked it over before I could get good pictures of it, but it was ball shaped, about the size of my fist. The branches almost looked like a tapeworm with the segments. The stem was hollow and looked like some of the honeycomb blinds that can be bought for the windows. The color was orange. Any ideas what this could be? I've been searching the Web and can't find any pictures that are even similar.
This could be a dried up and contorted laticed stinkhorn. It could be a dried up Clathrus ruber, or similar, for example.
It was actually growing quite well until around noon today. Like I said, unfortunately I kicked it over before I took any pictures of it. I thought it may be something one of the dogs had left behind, that was why I had pushed at it with my shoe. I wanted to make sure they (the dogs) weren't sick and leaving something undesirable around the yard. We have a young toddler that likes playing out there too much, and he still puts everything in his mouth! I found some pictures of a similar looking fungus, but this one didn't have any brown or slimy centers around the holes.
Is there a point of attachment with the ground? And what does it smell like? Is it brittle or squishy?
It was attached at the ground, and the entire growth was squishy. I've got some more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/21699449@N04/ but I didn't get a very good picture of where the growth was attached. I'll see if I can blow up the picture of where it was growing from.
Ok, I went back and looked at it again. It's pretty well drying out and shriveling now, but it definitely has a disagreeable odor. Not strong enough to notice when standing up and looking down at it, but I picked up a piece of it and sniffed. Not pleasant.
That's why I'm having trouble finding out what it is. I can find all sorts of descriptions that come really close, but no pictures that match (or at least sort of match). It was actually kind of pretty, almost like a glass ball.
The lattice part looks remarkable similar to the skirting on Phallus indusiatus, but without the protruding top and the skirting wasn't moving easily. The pictures I saw of Phallus indusiatus look much more fragile than the one in the yard. Maybe a young specimen that hadn't finished growing yet? Not sure yet. Will keep looking.
I think you're right, but I have another question. In my google search on Clathrus ruber, all of the information seems to be that these fungi don't like the sun, and will start shriveling up and drying out. The area where I found the one in my yard is a full sun area, absolutely no shade. Would that make a difference? Apparently not, since I found it growing out there with no apparent problems, but it is just a curiosity.
Thanks for the help! And, I went back and looked one more time, the egg sac was down buried in the grass next to the bush. It was definitely most likely Clathrus ruber.