fungi · GBIF taxon 5239982
Common Earthball
Scleroderma citrinumAlso known as Pigskin Poison Puffball, Common Earth Ball
Common earthballs are tough, potato-like fungi that grow half-buried in mossy woodlands and sandy soils. Their thick, yellowish-brown outer skin is covered in coarse, wart-like scales, protecting a dense, dark purple-black spore mass inside. As they mature, the tough outer rind splits open at the top to allow rain and wind to disperse the powdery spores.
FungusToxicWoodland
1 / 7- diet
- Mycorrhizal (exchanges nutrients with tree roots)
- family
- Sclerodermataceae
- threats
- Soil compaction, habitat destruction
- life Span
- Fruiting bodies persist for several weeks to months
NE
Toxic if ingested. Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
- Squeeze Gently: Gently press mature, dry specimens to watch puff-like clouds of dark spores escape.
- Check the Interior: Slice a fallen specimen open to see the characteristic dark purple-black interior.
- Look for Parasites: Search the base of earthballs for the rare parasitic bolete growing on them.