Ileodictyon gracile

Ileodictyon gracile
Ileodictyon gracile, Australia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Phallales
Family: Phallaceae
Genus: Ileodictyon
Species:
I. gracile
Binomial name
Ileodictyon gracile
Berk. (1845)
Synonyms

Protubera canescens G.W. Beaton & Malajczuk (1986)

Ileodictyon gracile is a saprotrophic species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. It is native to Australia, where it is commonly known as the smooth cage fungus, with reference to its basidiocarps (fruit bodies), shaped like a ball with interlaced or latticed branches partly covered on the inner surfaces with a foetid slime layer containing basidiospores.

Ileodictyon gracile is similar to and sometimes confused with Ileodictyon cibarium, which is also native to Australia. Fruit bodies of both species are whitish, mesh balls of similar size, but can be differentiated by characteristics of the receptacle arms that form the mesh.[1] I. cibarium has a thicker mesh with arms that are wrinkled, wider, elliptical in cross section, and not thickened where the arms meet, compared to I. gracile.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kuo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Ileodictyon gracile" (PDF). Compiled by V Ryan for QMS Gasteromycetes Workshop. Queensland Mycological Society. November 2017 [August 2013].{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)