Common Earthball - Scleroderma Citrinus

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Scleroderma citrinum - Common Earthball

Hello, welcome inside the Bug Hotel!

This time around we’re off into the sopping wet woods for a look at the Common Earthball- these ones were found in dense woods in the South of England.

Very common on hard packed dirt trails in the woods, this warty potato looking fungus is responsible for most mushroom poisonings each year due to it being confused with the common puffball and eaten by mistake.

It has a leathery exterior, with dimpled protrusions about it. It feels quite solid to the touch, but as with all mushrooms and fungus, if you aren't 100% sure what you are dealing with, best practice is to leave well alone.

This one is juvenile as the blue-black centre is still densely packed and moist- this will eventually dry out to become spores as the fungus matures. The skin will become dry and develop fissures allowing the spores to escape in clouds-. If you breathe these in, or get them in your eyes can be very problematic indeed….

As an added bonus, see if you can spot the pseudoscorpion- Looks like I have disturbed his home :(

These Earthballs are often found in the late summer through Autumn and can reach a size of about 12cms across.

I think it looks like an arctic roll ice-cream and very other worldly!

Please be safe out there, wash your hands after touching any mushrooms or fungus you are unfamiliar with and never ever put them in your mouth!

Scleroderma Citrinum