Can someone identify this mushroom?

[blue room]

I've looked at mushroom-identity sites online, but can't find a really good match.

[John E.]

The cap of this spore has a slight resemblance to a morel but that is all. If there is any chance that a mushroom is called a 'dog penis' I am going to run it over with a lawn mower.

[HunterGatherer]

LOL SUPER funny!

[jameshig]

Check with the university's mycology department. One of the professors should be able to help you identify.

That DOES NOT look like a morel.

[sunshine842]

did you buy it, or find it growing somewhere?

[blue room]

I should have been more helpful -- this and many like it grew in my Salt Lake City, Utah back yard in September 2011. (I saved the picture.) It looks like a morel, so I was excited. Very wet conditions at the time. This was about 6-7 inches long. No smell at all (I didn't taste it.) Not slimy, but quite spongey.

[sunshine842]

When I moved to France, I had these golden-hued daydreams of skipping lightly through the forests harvesting my own morels and cepes to enjoy with my family. I bought a book, started to read it, and put an end to those daydreams.

There are too many poisonous mushrooms that look *almost* like edible mushrooms. If the consequences were nothing more serious than an upset stomach, I'd say go for it.

As it is, however, you might only get ONE chance to mis-identify a mushroom.

If you're not sure, don't eat it, unless you have an opinion from a well-trained mycologist.

[HunterGatherer]

According the the mushroom bible "Demystifying mushrooms" by David Arora, This looks to be a dog stinkhorn, but the white variety which is rare at best and never seen (yet) on the West Coast. The absence of odor is probably due to it's advanced, mature state. These are non-poisonous, however not at the mature specimen stage as this one clearly is. So, if you find it in "egg stage" it may be good but I am NOT a mycologist. The Chinese think these are a delicacy and are sold under the common name of "devil's eggs" in markets around the world. However, I eat and gather a lot of mushrooms, and I would NOT bother with this one. Mainly because they are rare here in the US, are not even all the way to the West Coast yet and not widely known. If you want more information, pg 771 of the book will help you. Interesting picture though!

[monavano]

It looks similar to a morel mushroom.

[Puffin3]

Looks like some type of stinkhorn.

[monavano]

Also known as a dog penis mushroom.
Did this pop up in your yard suddenly after a lot of rain, maybe in mulch?

[blue room]

Charming! Yes, very rainy. I suppose these are **not** good to eat?

[monavano]

I've seen this question before and i've read that they're ok to eat, but I am no mycologist!! Personally, I wouldn't because supposedly their slimy, stinky and attract flies to pick up their spores. Yuck!
A couple months ago, these and other mushrooms popped up all around the DC area and a handful of people picked the new plethora of mushrooms from their yard and got really sick. I just don't have the courage to trust that I really knew what I was doing unless I got a lot of training first hand.

[goodhealthgourmet]

well, technically they're not poisonous, and they're considered to be something of a delicacy in China once the slimy, stinky coating is removed...but they apparently have a very squishy, chewy texture that doesn't sound at all appealing to me. YMMV.

[SonyBob]

This is absolutely NOT a morel. If you don't know what it is, don't eat it.
Bob