Fauna
Fungus

Pisolithus albus

Pisolithus albus

Also known as White Dyeball, White Earthstar Puffball, Eucalypt Dyeball

Pisolithus albus forms robust, club-shaped or irregularly rounded fruiting bodies that emerge from sandy or disturbed soils under compatible host trees. Internally, the immature cap contains hundreds of tiny pea-like chambers called peridioles, which gradually disintegrate into a powdery brown mass of spores as the outer skin flakes away. It forms extensive ectomycorrhizal networks, assisting trees such as eucalypts and acacias in absorbing scarce water and minerals in nutrient-poor environments.

MycorrhizalSpore-ProducerSoil-Dweller
Pisolithus albus reference
(c) Kurt Miller, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAbsorptive mycorrhizal symbiont
Predators
  • Fungus beetles
  • Fungus gnats
  • Small mammals
ThreatsSevere soil disturbance, heavy compaction, and clear-cutting
HabitatsEucalypt woodlands, sandy heathlands, and plantation margins
Life spanFruiting body persists 1–3 months; underground mycelium persists for years
Classification
  1. OrderBoletales
  2. FamilySclerodermataceae
  3. GenusPisolithus
  4. SpeciesPisolithus albus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Spore Observation: Mature specimens release dense clouds of yellow-brown powdery spores when gently tapped.
  • Root Proximity: Look near the dripline of mature eucalypts in gravelly or sandy roadside verges.
Related species
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