Hi. I discovered in a cooler Caribbean rainforest region this interesting species, and would like to ask you all here for the identification. My mind is divided if this is a mushroom or a plant. It is easy to take away from the ground, like a mushroom, and it got white or creme colored flesh like a mushroom. However, the outside looks like a pinecone or a red artichoke, and it feels similar to the leafs of an artichoke, the leafs are kinda stiff. I don't remember any smell. But I recognized that the older individuals turned black, not unlike to some mushroom types. It is a humid or even wet environment where this species grows (even the camera lens cought some water drops), and it is inside a rain forest. The underground was the reminder of a dead tree, I think, and was surrounded by moist soil. More mature species develop a big number of small extensions on their outside. What kind of species is that?
I've seen those in Ecuador as well - I had always assumed them to be related to the Zingiberales in some way. Hmmmm.... Very similar to the flower shoots of Renealmia thyrsoidea - a plant which is notorious for not sending up leaves that make it easy to ID.
Lila and Lorax, thanks a lot for your responses! I think, in this case it seems to be of a higher possibility it is the Balanophoraceae I made photos of. Amazing plant. Similarities to mushrooms.
Scybalium jamaicense? http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Cy0v1DIlcfo/Sf9J8YB7QVI/AAAAAAAABg8/9at6AHnhdck/s1600-h/Scybalium+jamaicense.JPG http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Balanophoraceae/images/ScybaliumJamaicenseRH.jpg P.S: It was Mr. Wageninger's idea in an OFF-topic discussion here: http://www.infojardin.com/foro/showthread.php?t=185949 But unfortunately he isn't a forum member here (yet)... :(((
