Devil’s Fingers (Clathrus archeri)

Devil's Fingers (Clathrus archeri) is one of the strangest fungi to be found in Britain. It hatches from a white, egg-like ball half buried in leaf litter, pushing out four to seven bright red arms that first join at the tips, then spread and curl back like the tentacles of an octopus. The inner surface of the arms is coated in dark olive-brown slime that smells of rotting flesh and draws in flies to spread the spores.

Originally from Australia, it reached Europe in the early 20th century. It is still uncommon in Britain but spreading through the southern counties, in leaf litter and wood chips in deciduous woods, parks, gardens and grassland, from August into November.

The Red Cage (Clathrus ruber) forms a round red lattice rather than separate arms. Devil's Fingers is not known to be poisonous, but it is not edible.

Spore Print

Season

J

F

M

A

M

J

A

S

O

N

D

Non-native

unknown

Distribution

Native to Australia. Uncommon but spreading through the southern counties

Habitat

Occurs amongst litter, on wood chips in deciduous woods, parks, gardens and grasslands

Etymology

Clathrus is from the Latin clathri, 'lattice', after the cage-like fruit bodies of the genus. archeri probably honours William Archer, a 19th-century Tasmanian naturalist.

Fruiting Body

A very distinctive red-armed stinkhorn that breaks out of an egg-like peridium. The foul-smelling dark spore mass sits on top of the red, backward-curving arms, which are pinkish at the base.