Stench has Phuket residents up in arms over rare 'stinky squid' mushroom
Eakkapop Thongtub


Wichat Lakbaan of Soi Tanuthep, Chalong, hopes the rare mushroom brings luck to her home. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- The foul stench emanating from a rare mushroom found inside a flower pot at Phuket home had residents and reporters scrambling to identify the odd, offending ’shroom yesterday (Sept 20).

Wichat Lakbaan of Soi Tanuthep, Chalong, raised the alarm by calling Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers about the white mushroom, about five centimetres wide and about 10cm long, asking whether or not the fungi were poisonous.

“I’ve never seen anything like this, so I took a picture and sent it to Kusolharm and all my friends to help me identify this strange species,” Ms Wichat said.

The species grows scattered or in groups on disturbed soil in coniferous or mixed forests usually spotted in the summer from July to September and its often have four to seven upright arms with reddish to pink in colour with foul and offensive smell.

It’s particularly well known for producing a smell akin to rotting meat, which in turn attracts hordes of flies.

Officers from the Khao Prataew Nature and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang later confirmed that the mushroom was a “stinky squid”, the most widely distributed member of the genus Pseudocolus.

Although found commonly elsewhere around the world, the stinky squid is rare in Thailand. The specimen found at Ms Wichat’s home yesterday was only the second stinky squid reported found in Thailand this year.

The first one was spotted in Chaing Mai in May.

In light of the fact that such a rarity of species in Thailand had sprouted at her home, Ms Wichat said, “I hope this brings good luck to my home.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/stench-has-phuket-residents-up-in-arms-over-rare-stinky-squid-mushroom-54198.php


-- Phuket News 2015-09-21

I like the positive thinking that the stinky squid may bring good luck.

we have a plant which the wife tells me is called dog fart and she's not wrong.

we have a plant which the wife tells me is called dog fart and she's not wrong.

Yep....that's what it's called. we have lots of it...my wife's relatives would come over to our house and I would often see them holding their noses shut and saying "it stinks like dog fart". I thought our dogs had some real problems before I figured out they were talking about a vine. I have been told that some people eat it.

Sure hope we don't ever have one of those mushrooms...stinky squid and dog farts don't sound like a good combination.

Thais love pla ra. How can any other smell be more offensive?