If you have ever walked through a forest after the rain and suddenly spotted something that looked like an alien egg cracking open on the ground, there is a good chance you encountered a stinkhorn mushroom. Known scientifically as Phallus impudicus and commonly referred to as the “stinkhorn,” this bizarre fungus has earned a reputation as one of the most frightening-looking organisms in the natural world. But what exactly is it, and why does it evoke such strong reactions from anyone who sees or smells it?

A Strange Life That Begins as an Egg

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