by : Julia Banim on : 21 May 2021 09:43

An alien-like ‘creature’ with the ‘sickly sweet smell of rotting corpses’ has been spotted in woodland in Queensland, Australia.

A hiker who had been out on Mount Nebo in Moreton Bay spotted the bizarre-looking growth, and took a snap to share with Reddit.

Describing the foul stench, the unnamed walker, who goes by the username u/aus556762, said that is was ‘hard to describe the sickly sweet smell of rotting corpses to those who don’t have first hand experience already’.

alien-like creature spotted in Queenslandu/aus556762

He went on to reveal that he was able to smell it ‘from about 1m out’, adding ‘you can see flies on it in the picture’.

Those on the r/brisbane thread were left greatly intrigued by the strange find, with one noting that it ‘looks like something out of Resident Evil’. Another – quite accurately in my opinion – remarked that it ‘looks like it belongs in the upside-down’.

However, others recognised the growth – and indeed, the description of the odour – from their own outdoor encounters, and quickly identified it as a form of Stinkhorn.

Now, for those fortunate enough never to have caught a whiff of this fella, a Stinkhorn is a type of mushroom famed for its pungent aroma, a smell that is cleverly intended to attract flies for pollination purposes.

A photograph of a Aseroe RubraPA Images

One person commented:

Had one appear in my yard once. I thought it looked like a cool alien plant and wanted to keep it but the wife was not happy about it.

Another advised:

You can eat them when they’re young and still in the ‘egg’ phase. There’s even a YouTube video of a guy eating them.

Honestly, I really don’t mind a few mushrooms on my pizza now and again, but I would personally draw the line at this one. But, if you’re a bit more adventurous than me, then I have dug out what I believe to be the video in question.

Check it out below:

As reported by the Mail Online, Brett Summerell, Chief Botanist and Director of Research at the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, has been able to confirm the growth as being part of the Stinkhorn family.

This particular Stinkhorn is understood to be a Aseroe Rubra or ‘starfish fungus’, known for producing a sticky brown slime. The pong emitted by the slime has previously been likened to sewage, faeces and rotten meat.

Although you absolutely wouldn’t want to stick these chaps in a flower arrangement, they are a fun reminder of how fascinating and downright bizarre nature can be.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

unilad.co.uk