Phallus indusiatus

Phallus indusiatus, commonly known as the veiled lady, bamboo fungus, bamboo pith fungus, or bridal veil stinkhorn, is a highly nutritious species occurring predominantly in tropical regions, especially in bamboo forest habitats. It is called “rain mushroom” because it typically appears after heavy rainfall.

Scientific name: Phallus indusiatus Vent., Mém. Inst. nat. Sci. Arts 1: 520 (1798)

Morphological characteristics:

The immature fruit body measures 10-30 mm in diameter and is spherical to subspherical, with a white to brown coloration. The receptacle expands to 100–160 mm in height. The volva is approximately 24 × 24 mm, white, bell-shaped, with a reticulate surface and an apical opening. The pseudostipe is 135 × 13 mm, white, cylindrical, spongy, and hollow. P. indusiatus has a prominent white indusium that extends nearly to the ground, polygonally reticulate, and attached to the tip of the pseudostipe. The indusium measures 23-30 × 20-35 mm, white to brown with a pinkish tinge, spherical, smooth, and thin-walled. The rhizomorphs are white and attached to the base of the pseudostipe. The gleba is olive-green, mucilaginous, and foul-smelling.

Basidiospores measure 2.8–4.2 × 1.1–1.9 μm (x = 3.4 ± 0.3 × 1.4 ± 0.2; Qm = 2.41), elongated-cylindrical, hyaline in 5% KOH, thin-walled, and smooth.

Distribution:

This species is widely distributed throughout tropical regions. In China, it is regarded as one of the most valuable edible mushrooms due to its rich content of minerals, amino acids, and protein (reported to surpass even that of chicken eggs). When cooked, Phallus indusiatus offers a sweet, delicate, and refined flavor.

However, its fruiting body lasts for only about 10 hours; if not harvested in time, it is rapidly damaged by insects or undergoes rapid autolysis. Owing to its striking appearance and high nutritional value, Phallus indusiatus is often referred to as the “queen of mushrooms” and is listed among the eight most prized mushroom species.

In Vietnam, within the framework of the project “Assessment of species diversity and ecological characteristics of the macrofungal community in Bai Tu Long National Park, Quang Ninh Province, and proposals for conservation measures”, conducted by the Joint Vietnam-Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Center at Bai Tu Long National Park, researchers recorded the presence of Phallus indusiatus in forested areas near Lach Che Station on Ba Mun Island.

Phallus indusiatus in its natural habitat.

Source: PhD. Pham Thi Ha Giang (Institute of Tropical Ecology/VRTC)

Ngoc Nguyen translated