Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Clathrus ruber

Clathrus ruber

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/May 1,2017 by Jimfbleak - talk to me?  12:35, 19 April 2017 (UTC)



Clathrus ruber is a species of fungus in the stinkhorn family. It is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage, alluding to the striking fruit bodies that are shaped somewhat like a round or oval hollow sphere with interlaced or latticed branches. The fungus is saprobic, feeding off decaying woody plant material, and is usually found alone or in groups in leaf litter on garden soil, grassy places, or on woodchip garden mulches. Although considered primarily a European species, C. ruber has been introduced to other areas, and now has a wide distribution that includes northern Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. The fruit body initially appears like a whitish "egg" attached to the ground at the base by cords called rhizomorphs. The egg has a delicate, leathery outer membrane enclosing the compressed lattice that surrounds a layer of olive-green spore-bearing slime called the gleba, which contains high levels of calcium that help protect the fruit body during development. As the egg ruptures and the fruit body expands, the gleba is carried upward on the inner surfaces of the spongy lattice, and the egg membrane remains as a volva around the base of the structure. The color of the fruit body, which can range from pink to orange to red, results primarily from the carotenoid pigments lycopene and beta-carotene. The gleba has a fetid odor, somewhat like rotting meat, which attracts flies and other insects to help disperse its spores. Although the edibility of the fungus is not known with certainty, its odor would deter most from consuming it.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Suillus salmonicolor February 2, 2017
 * Main editors:
 * Promoted: February 23, 2011
 * Reasons for nomination: weird-looking thing, and commonly crops up in peoples' gardens, hence we're teaching folks about something they might see...
 * Support as nominator. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 06:06, 14 April 2017 (UTC)
 * Support: why not, I'm a fun guy. Praemonitus (talk) 19:14, 18 April 2017 (UTC)