Came across this unusual fungus first at about 10.30 am and then later at about 2.30pm when i went back to the same fungus specimen to see how it had wilted.
Would not have paid it much attention to it and would have passed by without paying more attention to it but was lucky to have Angie Ng around to explain what it was and that piqued my interest enough to get my nose down close to it to smell it. There were numerous tiny flies and a rather large housefly settled on the fungus. One had to get really close to the fungus to be able to get a whiff of the mild stale scent which was attracting the flies.
The fungus is actually below ground and the umbrella-net surrounding a central stalk which is seen is actually the 'flower'. The stale scent attracts the flies and they help to carry the fungal spores away.
When i went back at about 2.30 pm, the central stalk and umbrella net had wilted considerably.
Read more about this amazing fungus here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallaceae
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/july99.html
