''Clathrus crispus'' is a species of

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

in the stinkhorn family. Reported as new to science in 1820, it is found in the Americas.

Taxonomy

The species was first described scientifically by French botanist

Pierre Jean François Turpin Pierre Jean François Turpin (11 March 1775, Vire – 1 May 1840) was a French botanist and illustrator. He is considered one of the greatest floral and botanical illustrators during the Napoleonic Era and afterwards. As an artist, Turpin was large ...

in 1820, from specimens found in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Description

The volva is white, up to in diameter, spherical to egg-shaped, and marked by a reticulum of grooves that are opened by irregular splitting at the apex. The fruit body is round to roughly elliptical, measuring up to . It is scarlet-red on its upper parts, but lighter near the base where it is hidden by the volva. There are up to about 50 radially grooved holes in the fruit body, which are more or less polyhedral to spherical near the top, but more elongated near the base. The spongy arms are up to about wide, and unite at the base to form a structure with the overall shape of an inverted cone. The gleba is olive to greenish and slimy, and coats the inner rims of the lattice holes.

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s are elliptical to cylindrical, slightly greenish in color, and have dimensions of 3.8–4.2 by 1.8–2.2

µm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

(up to ).

Habitat and distribution

''Clathrus crispus'' is saprobic, and its fruit bodies grow on the ground singly or in groups. It is found in gardens, lawns and cultivated soils, especially when wood chips have been used as mulch. A specimen matching the description of ''C. crispus'' was recorded from

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

in 2005. The species has been recorded from USA (

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

), Mexico, West Indies (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico), Central and South America to Uruguay and northern Argentina ( Cordoba). The species was featured in a

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

n postage stamp in 1986.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5128559 Phallales Fungi described in 1820 Fungi of North America Fungi of the Caribbean Fungi of South America