Promise that you will take some more photographs when these open up, which won't take long. Just leave them alone to develop. These will be spectacular. glib, what you've said about mycorrhizal relationships is true (though stinkhorns are almsot always associated with hardwood trees), but removing the fruiting body does not take away the mycorrhizae. That part of the fungus organism is alive and well in the soil. Spaghetina, stinkhorns (including your lattice species) are often brought in with hardwood mulch. I've also seen it appear on or near the stumps and dead roots of hardwoods that have been removed. Just doing some recycling.

i dont think touching is an issue.. it would be more an issue of getting falling down drunk.. falling with your mouth open.. into the pot.. and swallowing it .. lol ... like the shroom would be the worst of your problem at that point.. lol ... i didnt realize its in a pot.. if so.. just put on a glove if you wish [i wouldn't bother].. and tug it out .. it doesnt really have roots ... no need to keep it.. if you dont want ... in pots.. you would be better off with one of the potting media ... and when i used to grow seed.. i sterilize my media... before use.. to not only get rid of weed seed.. but also fungi spores..etc ... see link... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Post your pic over on the Mushrooms forum. They are the most likely ones to ID if for you. Most commercial potting mixes contain a variety of fungi which under the right humidity conditions, will sprout. Same thing happen s in compost piles all the time. Just remove them and toss or mix them back into the soil if you wish. They can be hazardous to pets but they pose no hazards to the plants themselves. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Mushroom forum

Mushrooms are an important part of the ecosystem - I wouldn't randomly try to kill them off. Most likely the mycelium are deep within the dead roots and you would be unable to kill them with a topical poison anyway. I can try to help you identify your mushroom. Take picture of it from the top and underneath. Cut it in half and note the color of the interior flesh. Does it have a distinctive odor? Are the mushrooms growing individually or does a group grow from a single area. Dig around the base of the mushroom - does it just end? Come from a half egg? Have a tap root? Most importantly, take a spore print. You do this by taking the cap and placing it gill side down on a piece of white and black paper. Cover it with a bowl and allow to sit for 4-8 hours. Lift the mushroom and note what color the spores are. With this information, I may be able to tell you whether it is likely to be highly poisonous or not. Just as a side note: NEVER eat a wild mushroom unless it has been identified by a trained professional in person. Any identification I give you is a "most likely" and absolutely not definite enough for eating that mushroom. Good luck, Bellatrix