Comments and Perspectives

Elio Schaechter

with help from Jean-Marie Pirlot

(Note: Some of the comments formerly on this page have become footnotes on the Modern English Translation)

General

Hadrianus' descriptions are generally careful and insightful. The distinctions between the egg and the mature form and the development of the fungus are quite precise, as are the statements about its habitat. The description is presented in an order that seems somewhat unfocussed to modern eyes. Hadrianus paid considerable attention to details and made good use of analogies to familiar shapes and forms. One wishes that modern science allowed for such vivid writing (although in shorter sentences). Hadrianus makes lively and appropriate analogies to the male organ, demonstrating that he had none of the prudishness of the Dutch who translated this work nearly 350 years later.

Perhaps the main value in Hadrianus' work on the stinkhorn derives from the fact that he went out into Nature to study the specimens. It is commonly stated that before the Renaissance, scientists did not generally make firsthand observations but relied mainly on classical texts. Hadrianus' writing suggests a desire to see for himself and to make broad queries about the nature of the stinkhorn. One can imagine him wandering on the dunes by the seaside, clad in the habit of the day, a tall conical hat, a fancy jacket and knickers, pausing at length to study individual specimens. Did he carry along a note pad, quill pen, ink and all, or did he commit the information to memory? No matter, his words speak to us clearly, although in the florid style of his times. We recognize his curiosity and his ability to make fitting and detailed descriptions.

Puzzling is the fact that Hadrianus asserts that the species had been little known before his publication. He writes: "I wish to describe a gift, which is produced in the dunes of our country. Itis known to few mortals and, as far as I know, is not mentioned by older or younger authors." and later, "The first one of our countrymen to discover this stalk some years ago, was, as far as I know, a wagon driver. He limps and his legs are crooked, rather like Vulcan of fable." People have certainly known stinkhorns for a very long time. These fungi are common and their two most noticeable features, shape and odor, clearly call attention to themselves. They occupy a prominent place in folk myths related to mushrooms. The claim of discovery is a bit confusing anyhow because further on Hadrianus mentions that "...is called unger eijern , which means eggs of the ghosts of evil spirits in the language of the inhabitants of the dunes" suggesting that the people living in the area were acquainted with this fungus.

Taxonomy

The species described is probably Phallus hadriani Vent.: Pers., named by Ventenant in 1798 in honor of our hero. This species is closely related to the common stinkhorn, P. impudicus L.: Fr. It differs from it in a few noticeable ways: P. hadrianifavors sandy soils, although this habitat is not unknown for P. impudicus. The membrane encasing the "egg" stage (peridium) of P. hadriani is pinkish to purple, darker in color than that of P. impudicus. Lastly, the odor is said to be less strong in P. hadriani. For practical purposes, the two species are very close.

A curious name given at times to this kind of stinkhorn is Phallusiosmos, meaning "smelling of violets". Lloyd (Mycol. Notes No. 26, p. 328, 1907) says of this name: "...there is a suspicion that it had its origins in somebody's defective olfactory nerves." C. D. Badham wrote to the person who came up with the name, the Rev. M.J. Berkeley: "If you had smelt it you would have christened it differently."  

Medicinal and Aphrodisiacal Uses

The belief that stinkhorns help in rheumatism, gout, and other agues endured into the 20th century. David Arora in Mushrooms Demystified has a wonderful introduction to the uses of stinkhorns in various regions of the world. He points out that "they have been used in countless ointments and potions, e., g., as a cure for gout, epilepsy, and gangrenous ulcers. They've been blamed for cancer and prescribed as a sure-fire remedy for it."

Arora also remind us that in Europe stinkhorns have been used as aphrodisiac for people as well as cattle. It's interesting that Hadrianus suggests the opposite, that because they are "cold", stinkhorns might lessen the desire, or, in his words, "is capable of extinguishing the passion of sensuality."

The Woodcuts

In the text, Hadrianus attributes them to Maerten van Heemskerck (1498-1574), who was an important painter of the Dutch Renaissance.

Marram Grass ("Helm")

I found the following in the Internet: "In the Netherlands, Marram Grass is the dominant sand fixing species. It is a perennial, rhizomatous grass. If covered by sand, the stems elongate, which enables the plant to emerge from the deposited sand. New roots are produced in the layer of freshly deposited sand. It has a natural ability to emerge from sand which is deposited in the vegetation and is therefore used to stabilize coastal fore dunes. Two to four years after planting, the sand holding capacity can be optimal."

Acknowledgement

I thank Pam and Tom Keyser for generously using their linguistic talents to translate the Dutch version. I thank Scott Redhead for his interest and for providing relevant and hard-to-come-by information.

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Last Update: March 5, 2001
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