Mutinus elegans , commonly known as the elegant stinkhorn , the dog stinkhorned , the headless stinkhorn , or the devil 's dipstick , is a species of fungus in the Phallaceae family . A saprobic species , it is typically found growing on the ground singly or in small groups on woody debris or leaf litter , during summer and autumn in Japan , Europe , and eastern North America . The fruit body begin its development in an " egg " form , resembling somewhat a puffball partially submerged in the ground . As the fungus mature , a slender orange to pink colored stalk emerge that tapers evenly to a pointed tip . The stalk is covered with a foul @-@ smelling slimy green spore mass on the upper third of its length . Flies and other insects feed upon the slime which contain the spores , assisting in their dispersal . Due to their repellent odor , mature specimens are not generally considered edible , although there are reports of the immature " eggs " being consumed . In the laboratory , Mutinus elegans have been shown to inhibit the growth of several microorganisms that can be pathogenic to humans .