Mutinus caninus
Mutinus caninus (Huds.) Fr.
Phallaceae
Conservation status. Vulnerable [VU B1ab(iii,iv)].
Morphology and biology. Fruit-bodies round when immature, ovoid, rarely elongated, 4 × 2.5 cm, white; with rhizoids. Peridium white to pale yellow, breaking at the top. Mature fruit-body with a stalk-like, cylindrical, white or pink, fragile and often curved receptacle, 5.5–12 cm high and 0.4–1 cm wide, with elliptical head on the top (representing the fertile part of the fruit-body). The head reddish to orange, covered by olive green, viscid gleba with repulsive smell, attached to the receptacle only by its edge. Volva basal, soft, and elongated. Spores broadly ellipsoid, 4–5 × 1–2.5 µm, smooth, hyaline. V–IX.
Habitats and populations. On the ground in deciduous, rarely in coniferous forests.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Southern), Vitosha Region (Vitosha Mt), West Frontier Mts (Osogovska Mt), Rila Mts, Sredna Gora Mts (Western), Rhodopi Mts (Central).
General distribution. Europe, Asia, North America.
Threats. Habitat loss/degradation caused by stock breeding, wood plantations, logging, urbanization, development of tourism/recreation infrastructure, soil pollution.
Conservation measures taken. Included in the Red List of Fungi in Bulgaria. Several localities are within the borders of Rila National Park, Vitosha Nature Park, and Arkutino Strict Nature Reserve. Some localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Study of the population numbers and range; better understanding of the species biology and ecology; conservation of the habitats; regular monitoring.
References. Hinkova 1954, 1955a, 1958a, b; Kuthan & Kotlaba 1981; Stoichev 1982; Chalukov 1983; Stoichev & Dimcheva 1984; Mihov 1994; Denchev & Assyov 2010.
Authors: Roumyana D. Petrova & Cvetomir M. Denchev
