''Colus pusillus'' is a species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. It is found in Australia. It is sometimes known as the craypot stinkhorn or basket stinkhorn, a reference to the unique appearance of the fruiting bodies which consist of vivid red, wrinkled arms that branch and connect to form a cage-like structure reminiscent to that of the related species

Clathrus ruber ''Clathrus ruber'' is a species of fungus in the family Phallaceae, and the type species of the genus ''Clathrus''. It is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage, alluding to the striking fruit bodies that ...

. This fungus is saprobic and makes frequent appearances on garden mulch as a result. Like all stinkhorns, the fruit body of C. pusillus begins as an egg-like structure. The eggs of C. pusillus are typically off-white, with a red/purple tinge and a faint latticed pattern on the surface. They are anchored to the substrate by one or more root-like

rhizomorph Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae. Cords may look similar to plant roots, and also frequently have similar functio ...

s: thickened mycelial strands. The membrane of the "egg" soon ruptures, releasing the rapidly expanding mature receptacle, which can reach a height of around 15 cm. The interior of the cage is covered by an unevenly distributed glebal slime, which contains the fungal spores. This slime is olive-green in colour and has a foul smell, which attracts insects that distribute the fungus' spores to a suitable location.

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* Fungi described in 1845 Fungi of Australia Phallales Taxa named by Miles Joseph Berkeley Fungus species {{Phallales-stub