 Mutinus elegans was first described by British missionary John <unk> in 1679 who chronicled the natural history of Virginia ; this early report is thought to be the first account of a fungus in North America . It was first characterized scientifically by French scientist Jean Pierre François Camille Montagne in 1856 , who called it <unk> elegans . The genus name Mutinus refers to a phallic deity , Mutinus <unk> , one of the Roman di <unk> <unk> by Roman <unk> . The species is commonly known variously as the " elegant stinkhorn " , the " headless stinkhorn " , the " dog stinkhorn " , or the " devil 's <unk> " . The specific epithet elegans is derived from the Latin word meaning " graceful " or " elegant " . 
