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The lantern stinkhorn (Lysurus mokusin) belongs to the Lysuraceae family. The fungus is native to Asia, and is also found in Australia, Europe and North America, where it is probably an introduced species. It is a saprobic species and grows solitarily or in small groups in forest litter, and wood chip mulch used in landscaping, and compost. The immature fruit bodies are white, gelatinous "eggs" measuring 1-3 cm in diameter. As the fungus matures, the egg ruptures as the fruit body rapidly expands. The fruit body consists of a reddish, cylindrical fluted stipe that is capped with several "arms". The arms can approach or even close in on each other to form a gleba. The gleba is a slimy spore mass and its fetid odor helps it attract flies and other insects to assist in spore dispersal.
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