Stinking Earth Fan
The most striking feature of this uncommon earth fan is its terrible odor, reminiscent of rotting cabbage. The fungus is thought to be ectomycorrhizal, forming a mutualism with the roots of conifers. It starts whitish but quickly turns gray and eventually purplish gray, with the white preserved at the tips. The fungus has numerous flattened branches that spread fan-like upwards and are spore-bearing on both sides. It may reach several inches in height. The bases are short and fused with one another. The odor becomes even worse on drying, but this fungus is so smelly it is often smelled before it it seen.