''Dictyocephalos'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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

in the family Phelloriniaceae of the order

Agaricales The Agaricales are an order (biology), order of fungi in the division (mycology), division Basidiomycota. As originally conceived, the order contained all the agarics (gilled mushrooms), but subsequent research has shown that not all agarics are ...

. The genus is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

, and contains the single species ''Dictyocephalos attenuatus'', commonly known as the stalked oddball, which was described by the American botanist

Lucien Marcus Underwood Lucien Marcus Underwood (October 26, 1853 – November 16, 1907) was an American botanist and mycologist of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Early life and career He was born in New Woodstock, New York. He enrolled at Syracuse University in 1 ...

in 1901 (as ''D. curvatus''). ''Dictyocephalos attenuatus'' is a unique species of mushroom, as it has a

gleba Gleba (, from Latin ''glaeba, glēba'', "lump") is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of certain fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn. The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The conti ...

like a

puffball Puffballs are a type of fungus featuring a ball-shaped fruit body that (when mature) bursts on contact or impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores into the surrounding area. Puffballs belong to the division Basidiomycota and encompass sever ...

, but it also has a stipe and a volva, like an ''

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded Edible mushroom, edible species (and many species of unknown edibility). The genus is re ...

''.fundis.org/images/PDF/Dictyocephalos-attenuatus_trifold-web.pdf Starting as an underground "egg", the spore case develops up to across, round and slightly gelatinous at first then flattens and develops brownish scales. This is situated on the white-to-brownish enlarged end of the stem, which can grow up to long. It is inedible.

References

Agaricales Monotypic Agaricales genera {{Agaricales-stub