Ok, before I get into detail about this,and everyone starts laughing - i'd like to tell you that this is a real plant,that was at the edge of the woods at my house.

Alright,first let me start by giving you the location - Northwest Alabama.Now,I grew up playing in the woods with my brother - so,I am familiar with all of the plants that grow in nature for the area that I live.This has changed dramatically since this past weekends' experience.My wife,who is not from this area,called me outside to name a plant that she found.Not wanting to be bothered from what I was doing at the time,I asked her what it looked like.She said "it looks like a part of the male anatomy growing out of the ground".Well.....I had to see this.So, I get out there,and lo and behold - there is a flourescent orange "thing" sticking out of the ground that has the appearance of a severed finger from a rubber glove.This thing is about the size and length of a big man's middle finger,and the entire tip is covered with a gray epoxy looking coating.Well,of course I thought maybe it was a joke or something.So,I pinch the end of it with my fingers,and it collapsed from my fingers pressing it.When I released my pinch -it when back to it's original form,all proud and everything.Ok.....next,I tear the entire end of it off,to inspect it further.This thing is hollow,the walls of it are probably about 1/16 of an inch thick,and also - the walls themselves are porous...like cells from something you would see growing in the ocean.Now...this thing has completely bumfuzzled me.I wish a photo had been taken of it,but it was not.I don't know if any remains are still there.I'm gonna look for it this evening when I get home.Anybody got an idea?