Every month, the visitors of our museum choose the exhibit they liked the most. The one that stood out for the month of July was the Clathrus ruber mushroom.

The Clathrus ruber which is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage, is a non-edible mushroom with an impressive formation. It fruits in spring and autumn, singly or in groups, in broadleaf forests in Mediterranean ecosystems. It initially grows underground in the form of an egg and then emerges from the ground in a spongy, orange-red reticulated web, resembling a cage or chinese lantern. The spores are produced on the inside, creating a slimy surface, and with its strong smell of rotting meat, attracts the insects that consume it and help disperse its spores.


3/8/2023