Octopus Stinkhorn

This morning I, or rather the spaniel,  found three clathyrus archerii - the Octopus Stinkhorn fungus. Native to Australia it is believed that the fungus made it to Britain as spores inside the crates of military equipment that were shipped from the Antipodes during the First World War. The area we found it in still has the practice trenches that were dug at that time so the theory appears to fit. The young fungus erupts from an  egg-shaped mass in the ground, unfolding  its 'arms'  which exposes the pinkish-red interior covered with a dark and foul smelling sticky gleba that attracts insects.