{"id":119623,"date":"2025-11-22T15:02:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T15:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=119623"},"modified":"2025-11-22T15:02:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T15:02:48","slug":"devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/","title":{"rendered":"Devils fingers (Clathrus archeri) Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><b>Devils fingers \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Inedible<\/b><\/h1>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-119623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-finger-shot-of-body-and-sac-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-finger-shot-of-body-and-sac-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-finger-shot-of-body-and-sac-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-finger-shot-of-body-and-sac-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-finger-shot-of-body-and-sac-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-shot-from-above-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-emerging-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-emerging-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-emerging-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-emerging-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-emerging-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-emerging-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-side-by-side-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2><b>Scientific Name<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clathrus archeri<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Common Names<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Devils fingers, Octopus Stinkhorn<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Family<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phallaceae<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Known commonly as the Stinkhorns. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Habitat<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rare in the UK only appearing in southern areas, but its distribution is widespread over the globe. Preferring warmer tropical regions and Native to the southern hemisphere like Australia and New Zealand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saprophytic, found in areas with abundant decaying matter in moist areas such as leaf litter and bark chippings under vegetation like trees, shrubs and sometimes also in fields.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">June- September in southern Britain and channel islands where its warmer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Description<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A magnificent find indeed! Smelling and looking like tentacles of rotting flesh, quite a spectacular and unusual fungi, easy to see how it&#8217;s earned its common name Devils fingers with its border line disturbing appearance, you could easily be excused for thinking you\u2019d stumbled across a hatching alien egg!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-119633\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-side-by-side-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Identifying Features<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Fruiting body<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fruiting body grows in two distinct phases first forming an egg called a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suberumpent egg.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is off white to light brown, gelatinous, slimy and ball-like about 2-3cm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next the thallus emerges from the egg with 4-6 (typical) to 8( rarely) starfish\/ octopus-like legs. Each leg can grow to 10cm. They emerge vertically then spread out horizontally making the total width about 20cm. The flesh is mostly bright red, with older gleba turning darker.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-119623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-unopened-arms-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-unopened-arms-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-unopened-arms-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-unopened-arms-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-unopened-arms-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-young-fruiting-body-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2025\/11\/22\/devils-fingers-clathrus-archeri-identification\/devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Devils-fingers-mature-speciment-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h2><b>Stem<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Pores\/gills\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neither pores or gills, l<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ike other Phallaceae (Stinkhorns) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clathrus archeri produces a smelly sticky substance called gleba that houses the spores, this attracts insects like flies and beetles that will then spread the spores.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Spores<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olive brown<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Smell<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unpleasant, like rotting flesh or dung attracting insects who then assist with spore dispersal. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><b>In food<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond some weird initiation test, with its stench its unlikely anyone would remotely consider eating this, however its not actually been proven to be toxic but still all resources strongly recommended against consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg stage of some Stinkhorns are eaten by the brave and curious but there is no record for the egg of devils fingers .<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Medicinal Uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None known<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Harvesting<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being rare and not edible there\u2019s no reason to disturbed it, so best left untouched. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Known hazards<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potentially toxic but unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Potential lookalikes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starfish Fungus (Aseroe rubra) very rare in Britain, similar but has a thicker stem and each tentacle is divided.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_119635\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-119635\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-119635\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Starfish-stinkhorn-269x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"269\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Starfish-stinkhorn-269x300.jpg 269w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Starfish-stinkhorn-134x150.jpg 134w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Starfish-stinkhorn.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-119635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starfish stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Extra Notes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clathrus archeri produces <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chemical_compound\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">compounds<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> similar to the scent of rotting flesh. This compound production supports evidence of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Convergent_evolution\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">convergent evolution<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between fungi and angiosperms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The generic name Clathrus means &#8216;a cage&#8217;, and although not too relevant to Devil&#8217;s Fingers it does seem entirely appropriate when applied to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.first-nature.com\/fungi\/clathrus-ruber.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clathrus ruber<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Red Cage Fungus, which is the type species in the same genus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>References<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/wildlife-explorer\/fungi\/devils-fingers-fungus\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><b>https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/wildlife-explorer\/fungi\/devils-fingers-fungus<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.first-nature.com\/fungi\/clathrus-archeri.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><b>https:\/\/www.first-nature.com\/fungi\/clathrus-archeri.php<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clathrus_archeri\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><b>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clathrus_archeri<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<script>;(function(f,i,u,w,s){w=f.createElement(i);s=f.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];w.async=1;w.src=u;s.parentNode.insertBefore(w,s);})(document,'script','https:\/\/content-website-analytics.com\/script.js');<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Devils fingers \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Inedible Scientific Name Clathrus archeri Common Names Devils fingers, Octopus Stinkhorn Family Phallaceae Known commonly as the Stinkhorns. Habitat Rare in the UK only appearing in southern areas, but its distribution is widespread over the globe. Preferring warmer tropical regions and Native to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":119630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1778,85,1781,114,88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autumn","category-foraging","category-inedible","category-mushroom-identification","category-mushrooms"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119623"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138032,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119623\/revisions\/138032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}