Aseroe rubra

Common name

Anemone Stinkhorn

General description

Aseroe rubra has bright red arms on a hollow stem, initially contained within an egg. Each arm splits into two at the tip. The slimy spore mass is concentrated on the disc at the top of the stem. The smell is like rotting meat and attracts flies which distribute the spores. It occurs in high altitude grasslands and woodlands, and elsewhere in rich soils.

Appearance

Fruit-body Height to 100 mm; red arms radiating from the top of a hollow stem. Egg Diameter to 30 mm; oval to round; dingy-white with pink patches, may stain blue on handling; gelatinous. Arms 6–9; length to 35 mm, diameter to 6 mm; triangular, wide at base, radiating from a central disc, deeply divided into two at tip (bifid); bright red; sculptured. Stem Central; length to 100 mm, diameter to 35 mm; cylindrical, hollow, top slightly flattened to form a disc; white to cream; rough, sculptured. Volva cup-like, ragged along rim, formed from outer layer of egg. Spore mass (gleba) Olive to olive-brown slime; coats central disc and base of arms. Smell Like rotting meat.

Habit

Solitary or in groups; fairly common.

Substrate

Organically rich soil; saprotrophic.

Habitat

Alpine grasslands and mountain woodlands and rich soils in sheltered areas in eastern Australia, also in urban areas on transported eucalypt wood chips.

Look-alikes

The red arms of the very similar Seastar Stinkhorn Anthurus archeri are not deeply divided at the tips, and the spore mass collects along the whole surface of the arms. Craypot Stinkhorn Colus hirudinosus group is cage-like with arms always joined at the top.