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mysterious plant from mars?
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Posted by engineeredgarden (My Page) on Wed, May 28, 08 at 14:43
Ok, before I get into detail about this,and everyone starts laughing - i'd like to tell you that this is a real plant,that was at the edge of the woods at my house.
Alright,first let me start by giving you the location - Northwest Alabama.Now,I grew up playing in the woods with my brother - so,I am familiar with all of the plants that grow in nature for the area that I live.This has changed dramatically since this past weekends' experience.My wife,who is not from this area,called me outside to name a plant that she found.Not wanting to be bothered from what I was doing at the time,I asked her what it looked like.She said "it looks like a part of the male anatomy growing out of the ground".Well.....I had to see this.So, I get out there,and lo and behold - there is a flourescent orange "thing" sticking out of the ground that has the appearance of a severed finger from a rubber glove.This thing is about the size and length of a big man's middle finger,and the entire tip is covered with a gray epoxy looking coating.Well,of course I thought maybe it was a joke or something.So,I pinch the end of it with my fingers,and it collapsed from my fingers pressing it.When I released my pinch -it when back to it's original form,all proud and everything.Ok.....next,I tear the entire end of it off,to inspect it further.This thing is hollow,the walls of it are probably about 1/16 of an inch thick,and also - the walls themselves are porous...like cells from something you would see growing in the ocean.Now...this thing has completely bumfuzzled me.I wish a photo had been taken of it,but it was not.I don't know if any remains are still there.I'm gonna look for it this evening when I get home.Anybody got an idea? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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Here is a link that might be useful: google images
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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| BOP - no, that's not what it looked like. It was as straight as can be , and was the same diameter all the way to the end - but kinda came to a rounded point.Thanks for trying to help, though.This is real hard to explain, without getting kicked off here......... |
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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I hope someone knowledgeable comes along -
the suspense is killing me! here's another link to mutinus
described as "Unlike Phallus species, which mimic human anatomy, Mutinus species have more of a canine thrust."
- scroll down. there's a pic of the inside. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Mutinus elegans
I think it was one of these
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| Now....these last pictures looked more like it.It was definitely one of them.Thanks! Now, I can tell my wife that no aliens are gonna come up out of the ground and get her.Woohoo! |
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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| I've always called them 'dog thingie' stinkhorn. Mutinus caninus. |
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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| While we are on the topic, has anyone, besides me, noticed that jack in the pulpits are very phallus-like when they first emerge in the spring? |
RE: mysterious plant from mars?
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| joepyeweed, as I read I thought of Jacks, but obviously not them, but no I never noticed what you did. I always think they look like a Rhino horn coming up....I guess it is all about what your sense of reference is. |
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