For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Devil's Fingers Fungi
Scientific name: Clathrus archeri
Size: Grows to approx 15cm tall
Distribution: Rare alien species occasionally seen in southern and central counties of England
Months seen: July to October
Habitat: Old tree stumps, leaf litter, wood chips and grassland. Prefers moist, shaded conditions
Special features: The poisonous bright red Devil's Finger Fungi (sometimes called the Octopus Stinkhorn) is a fungi species which was introduced to the UK from Australia and New Zealand.
The fungi starts as a gelatinous egg-shaped growth. From this a single stem grows and this branches producing 4 - 8 fingers. The fingers are covered in a sticky goo, called 'gleba', which contains the spores. The gleba has a pungent smell which attracts flies which then spread the spores.
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