Stinkhorns (Phallaceae) are a family of basidiomycete fungi that feed on decaying plant matter. Different Stinkhorns come in amazing variety of bizarre sculptural shapes and many are partly brightly coloured in tones of orange, pink, or red. They also often produce various types of foul odor when releasing spores. All these adaptations are to encourage spore dispersal by species of Flies (Diptera), Beetles (Coleoptera), and other insects that feed on carcasses and/or dung.
Like most other detritivore fungi, Stinkhorns are beneficial for creating compost and enriching garden soil. Do not try to remove all organic matter from your garden or apply fungicides of any sort to the soil. If the odor of the fungus fruiting bodies (the visible 'mushrooms or 'horns' of the fungus) is very strong and annoying, just remove those particular fruiting bodies. You can bury them in the compost or soil to prevent the odor from drifting in the air. Often the smell, isn't that bad unless you are very close to to the stinkhorns.
Actually, stinkhorns are fascinating to look at, and worth a close view, regardless of the odor. I still remember the first time I saw a Lattice Stinkhorn (
Clathrus ruber). At first, I thought someone had thrown a lattice-crust cherry pie on the ground, but a cherry pie that smelled like rotten fish!?
