09/25/2020
It is well known that there are countless mushrooms and they surround us almost everywhere. Most of them we never get to see. Even the ones that populate the parks, meadows and forests in autumn we overlook most of them. A not so rare mushroom, but one that is nevertheless often overlooked, is the Common eartball (Scleroderma citrinum). It lives on sandy, dry soils and forms round to ovoid fruiting bodies. It does not have a stem. The fungus has no lamellae or pores. The spores are formed in the innards of the fungus. When they are fully ripe, the body of the mushroom simply bursts open. The fungus is poisonous and causes stomach ache and vomiting when eaten. I found the specimen on the photo below in a heath area. Well camouflaged and only to be seen from close up.
Common earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) #1
Common earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) #2
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