Mutinus ravenelii, commonly known as Ravenel's Red Stinkhorn, is a distinctive and curious fungus recognised for its slender, finger-like shape and reddish-orange tip coated with a foul-smelling, slimy spore mass called the gleba. Emerging from a whitish, egg-like structure, the fruiting body quickly elongates into a fragile, tapering column that often appears slightly curved. Like other stinkhorns, it uses its strong odour to attract flies and other insects, which assist in spreading its spores. This species is typically found in wood chips, mulch, or decaying leaf litter, particularly in gardens, parks, and forests, often in small clusters.

Fruiting body initially narrow and egg-shaped, 1–2.5 cm wide, whitish in colour, the fruiting body then emerges through the leathery outer layer. It is whitish at the base and bright red towards the tip. At the top, there is an olive-black spore mass, which flies quickly consume, leaving the tip bright red. The apex is sharply pointed. The stalk is porous and hollow throughout. Spores olive-brown. The spores suspension in gleba makes it impossible to produce a conventional spore print.

Microscopic Features: Spores measure 3–5 × 1.5–2 µm and are cylindric or somewhat cylindric in shape. They are smooth and often contain two tiny polar droplets. In KOH, the spores appear hyaline.

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