An article in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms describes a strange and wonderful practice in Hawaii: women gather together to search for a particular mushroom. When they find it, they sniff it. The scent of this mushroom causes sexual arousal, often to the point of orgasm. The article describes a trial where 20 men and 16 women were asked to smell the mushroom. All of the men found the smell disgusting. All the women showed signs of arousal, and six experienced orgasm from the smell. The study noted that the women who did climax were the first women to smell it, while those who smelled it later (when it was older and weaker) noticed fewer effects.

One woman said she wanted to "gobble it up."

Could it Be Real?

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Is this the Holy Grail of aphrodisiacs? A scent so potent that a few whiffs can send a woman over the cliff? Something that could be put in a time-released capsule for women with arousal disorders? The ultimate secret ingredient for the ultimate chocolate aphrodisiac?

A few people I talked with about this mushroom immediately decided that it was a hoax. Impossible, they say.

One person asked if the male and female chemistry are so vastly different that any chemical could cause repulsion in one gender and body-shaking ecstasy in the other? And how would it affect gay men or lesbian women?

I have corresponded with one of the authors of the paper; he is a respected mushroomologist (or mycologist if you want to be scientifically correct). He put his reputation on the line by publishing the article, and he has little to gain if it is a hoax.

Aphrodisiology has written about the truffle, which is is another mushroom that produces steroid pheromones. And some species of stinkhorn are eaten as aphrodisiacs in China.

Reading a report like this makes the old government plan to develop an Aphrodisiac Weapon a bit less loony.

Notes on Stinkhorns

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Stinkhorns usually do stink. They have evolved to spread their spores by attracting flies - which is easy when you smell fetid like rotting flesh. But apparently this type of Dictyphora tries to smell bad, nasty and naughty instead of plain foul. And it randomly mutated to produce some type of pheromone or neurotransmitter or drug.

The mushroom in question is described as a new species in the genus Dictyphora or Phallus, or possibly as a new variety of a known species, Dictyphora indusiata.

It's no coincidence that the spelling for the genus Phallus looks like the word phallus, which is Latin for dick. Stinkhorns are definitely phallic symbols - and one variety may be much more than a symbol, as it appears to rock her world in a way that mere mortals cannot.

Related Links:




• Brief discussion of Dictyphora as a food in China. Unfortunately, most of the volatile scent would be lost when drying the fungal fruiting body.
• Nice Photo of Dictyphora indusiata - one shows the orange 'veil' nicely.

References the article: Holliday, J.C. and N. Soule, "Spontaneous Female Orgasms Triggered by Smell of a Newly Found Tropical Dictyphora Species." International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 2001, vol. 3, pp 162-167.