Mushrooms · Plate VII

Red cage

Clathrus ruber

A hollow, spongy cage of coral-red arms, paler towards the base, forming irregular meshes. On the inside the arms carry a slimy, dark olive-green mass that holds the spores.

It hatches from a half-buried whitish “egg” held by white cords, and once open the egg remains as a cup at the base. It does not live joined to trees: it breaks down leaf litter, mulch and wood chips in gardens and woods, in spring and autumn.

It smells strongly of rot, which attracts flies that carry the spores away on their legs. Its name, Clathrus, comes from the Greek for “lattice”; ruber is Latin for “red”.

Just for the pleasure of looking: identifying mushrooms is a job for experts.

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