### Identification Commonly known as the Anemone Stinkhorn or Starfish Fungus, *Aseroe rubra* is one of the most visually arresting fungi you will encounter. It begins life as a partially buried, leathery white "egg." Upon maturing, a hollow white-to-pinkish stalk erupts, topped by a brilliant scarlet disc that splits into 6–10 radiating, bifurcated (forked) arms. These tentacles give it the appearance of a sea anemone stranded on the forest floor. The center of the star is coated in a sticky, olive-brown sludge called gleba, which emits a potent, cloying stench of rotting meat. To distinguish it from the similar *Clathrus archeri* (Octopus Stinkhorn), look at the arms: *A. rubra* has a distinct central horizontal disc, whereas *C. archeri* arms grow vertically from the base.
### Habitat & Range Native to Australia and Tasmania, this species is a hardy traveler, frequently hitchhiking in woodchips and mulch to gardens in the UK, North America, and South Africa. In its native range, look for it in damp leaf litter, alpine grasslands, and the edges of rainforests. It thrives in moist, shaded environments where organic debris is plentiful.
### Behaviour The "bloom" of the Anemone Stinkhorn is a fleeting, dramatic performance. Once the stalk bursts from the egg, it reaches full size within hours. Its primary goal is entomophilous spore dispersal. By mimicking the scent and color of a carcass, it tricks necrophagous flies and beetles into landing on the gleba. As the insects scavenge, the spores stick to their legs and mouthparts, to be deposited elsewhere.
### Diet As a saprotrophic fungus, *A. rubra* is a vital decomposer. It doesn't photosynthesize; instead, it secretes enzymes to break down complex organic matter—like decaying wood and mulch—into simple nutrients, effectively recycling the forest floor.
### Fascinating Fact *Aseroe rubra* holds a prestigious place in mycological history: it was the very first fungus to be formally described from Australia by a European scientist, collected in 1792 by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière in the woods of Tasmania.