A discovery of an unusual-looking fungus at Linton left Freya Paley and her two children puzzled on Sunday. 

The family were at the town’s skate park next to the Glenelg Highway when Ms Paley noticed the strange growth in the mulch.

“I was walking the dog around and saw something in the mulch at the park,” she said. 

“It looked very much like an octopus, but it couldn’t have been an octopus.”

Upon closer inspection, Ms Paley learned the odd-looking pink growth was a fungus.

“It felt like a fungus, so I took pictures of it and searched on Google for what it could be,” she said.

The Octopus Stinkhorn Fungi, scientifically known as Clathrus Archeri, is native to Australia. 

The fungus is commonly introduced into new gardens as part of soil or mulch.

It has a foul smell, which is caused by the small amounts of black and brown mucus on its flesh.

Ms Paley said the fungus had a “vague odour of death”, but was not as strong as online articles had suggested. 

Her children Sophia, 8, and Jed, 13, also inspected the fungus.

“I think we all agreed it was a bit mad and looked a bit like an alien,” she said. 

Ms Paley read online the fungus was edible, but advised against it. 

“The smell is so horrible,” she said.