PHALLUS Lin. Gen. PL C r y p t o g a m i a F u n g i .
Fungus fupra reticulatus, fubtus Isevis.
Raii Syn. Gen. 1. Fungt. •
PHALLUS impudicus volvatus ftipitatus, pileo cellulofo. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab-. p. 822. Spec. Plant
1648. Fl.Suec.n. 1261. , 1 ■ ' ^ *
PHALLUS impudicus. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 1650. <
FUNGUS foetidus, penis imaginem referens. C. B. Pin. 374.
PHALLUS Hollandicus. Park. 1322. R a il Syn. p. 12,. Hudfen Fl.Angl. ed. 2. p. 620. Lightfoot
rl. Scot. p. 1044. FI. Dan. t. 175. Schceffer Icon. Fung. t. 196, 197, 198.
RADIX fibrofa, fibris majufculis, teretibus, albis,
paulo infra terram repentibus, quibus hie
lllic accrefcuntglobuli albi, quijuftam mag-
nitudinem acquifiti,. fupra terram eminent et
Volvae dicuntur, 1, 2.
VOLVA fubrotunda, bafi paululum compreffa, laevis,
magnitudine pilae palmariae, alba, ponderofa,
tunica fads crafla exterius te&a, cui proxime
fubeft gelatina quaedam pellucida, flavo-fufea,
fig- 3. 5 -
STIPES: difruptavolva, exfurgit ftipes, craflitie pol-
licis, palmaris et ultra, paululum curvatus,
teres, albus, levis, fpongiofus, fiftulofus,
utrinque acuminatus, jig. 6.
PILEUS fubconicus, flipiti laxe infidens, primo laevis,
folidus, olivaceus, lubricus, mox feeti-
diflimus, cellulis materie feminiferä externe
pofita adhuc repletis, qua diffluente aut
mufeis exfu&a, fuperficies externa cellulofa
apparet, interna parum rugofa, vertice truncate
»,, albiflimo, oblongo, pervio, fig. 4, 7,
I ROOTS fibrous, the fibres large, round, white, creep-
| a under the furface of the earth, to
f which grow here and there white globules or
\ tubercles, which when full grown projeff
above the furface of'the earth, and are called
Volvae or Eggs, fig. 1, 2.
| EGGS roundifh, a little flattened at the bafe, fmooth,
the fize o f a tennis ball, white, heavy, co-
| vered with an outer coat of a moderate
thicknefs, immediately under which lies a
thick mafs of tranfparent jelly o f a yellowilh
brown colour, fig. 3, 5. -
f STALK : on the burfting of the egg'the ftalk rifes up,
| and is about the thicknefs of the thumb*
four inches and more in height, a little crooked,
round, white, fpongy, hollow, very light
| and pointed at both ends, fig. 6.
| CAP fomewhat conical, fitting loofely on- the ftalk,
% at firft fmooth, folid, of an olive colour, and
flippery, foon becoming highly. fetid, the
cells being as yet filled with the matter con-
| tainiqg the feed, which flowing out or being
f eaten- by flies, the outer furface appears cellular,
the inner a little wrinkled, the top as
| if cut off, very white, oblong, and open,
♦ m 4 > m m
In the months of Auguft, September, and Oaober, this fingular phenomenon of the Fungus tribe makes its
appearance in woods, hedge-rows, and hedges, in fome places abundantly, in others rare lyn ear London it
has been found m Coombwood and Norwood, but more plentifully in a fmall fir wood near the Spaniard
Hampfiead-Heath, before remarked for producing the Hydnum aurifealpium; in this wood on the 24th of
September 1780, I difeovered near a dozen growing within a fmall fpace of each other, fome were full-grown
others m their egg-ftate, rifen about half way out of the ground, and, when taken up, appearing like fo many*
imall tennis balls, vid.fig. 2. feveral of thefe I carefully carried home; one, which was in its greateft perfection,
my draughtfman, for the fake of more conveniently drawing, took with him to tht Spaniard fa place of
entertainment on the fpot) but the fetor arifing from it quickly pervading every part of the lioufe and
rendering it intolerable, we were obliged to get rid o f it.
On perpendicularly dividing with a (harp knife one of thofe I had taken home, I was not more ftruck with
the beautiful appearance which the. furface of each half exhibited, than the thick mafs of pure tranfparent
jelly, of a browmfh yellow colour, depofited betwixt two membranes, immediately under the outer furface
and which enveloped the Fungus, as yet in embryo, vid. fig. 3.
On examining my Fungi in their egg-ftate the next morning, I had the fatisfaftion to obferve, that in one
ot them, the cap of the Fungus had juft broken through its integuments, and was pufhing itfelf up through the
jelly ; I thought this a proper opportunity of obfervinghow quick it was in its growth, and found that from
the time of its breaking through the outer fkin (half paft eight o’clock) to the time that it acquired its full
height, a fpace intervened of about five hours, in which time it had grown three inches and three quarters • an
inftance of the quicknefs of vegetation fcarce credible, and perhaps not to be equalled by any other plant
The cap, on its firft coming forth, being covered with the jelly through which-it had paired and being aifo
o f a light olive colour, but perfeftly opake, not unaptly refembled a lump of bird-lime, vid fig 4 this ap
pearance it retained till eleven o’clock, when in fome parts it became o f a darker colour; at half paft twelve
the whole outer furface of the cap was changed to a very dark olive; it now began to fmell very offenfivelv
flies came into the room and fettled on i t ; a little paft one, it began to diffolve, and drop off and the cells*
containing this fubftance about the top of it began to be vifible, fig. 7. It was now placed out of doors when
the Pileus was almoft immediately covered with feveral fpecies of flies, moftly o f the larger fort, who,, inftead o f
lucking to and periftnng on it, as. related by G l e d i t s c h , in about two hours left the cells perfeaiv emntv
md.Jifi. 8. 1 1 1 •’ ’ .
th e difagreeable fmell arifing from the Phallus impudicus, which alone is often fufficient to detea it and
from which it has acquired in fome parts of the kingdom the name of Stink-horns, has ufually been compared
to carrion, and generally confidered as the effeHs of its putrefaffion : to me, the fmell appears to be altogether
Jin generis, and not to anfe from putrefaHion, at leaft a general putrefaftion of the plant; it firft arifes from
the fubftance lodged in the cells on the outfide of the Pileus, which conftitute the generic charaSer o f the
Phallus, and with which the feeds of this plant are doubtlefs incorporated ; as foon as this fubftance begins to
liquefy, the effluvia is perceptible at this time every other part of the plant is perfeHIy Tweet, not excepting
the jelly, which, it mull be allowed, afterwards acquires a difagreeable odour,, apparently from its putre-
faftion. The flies, allured by the effluvia from the Pileus, do not fettle on it to depolit their eggs as on
the Stapelia feelida; or putrid meat, but merely to feed on it, and which they appear to do mod deliciouflv
fcarcely ever fuffering a drop of the liquid to fall on the ground; whence this fpecies would foon become
extinfl, had not provident Nature fupplied it with a root, which, like the Potatoe, throws out numerous offsets
This plant affords nourilhment not only to various fpecies of flies, but alfo to fnails and Hugs who are
extremely fond of its ftem.
We may remark, that the top of the. cap has fometimes two perforatiohs, inftead of one, its ufual number.