Basket Fungi., Bernard Spragg Photo

Ileodictyon cibarium is a saprobic species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it commonly known as the basket fungus or the white basket fungus, alluding to the fruiting bodies that are shaped somewhat like a round or oval ball with interlaced or latticed branches. While the immature volvae are edible, the mature fruiting body is foul-smelling and covered with a slime layer containing spores on the inner surfaces.