Scleroderma citrinum
Common Earthball
Found on acidic sandy or peaty soil with Oak, Sweet Chestnut, and Birch, in
woodland or heathland among leaf litter. Solitary or in small trooping groups.
Usually seen from late summer to autumn but it has been recorded locally in
January.
The fruit body can be up to 150mm across and is attached to the soil by white
thread like cords, occasionally with a very short pseudo-stem. The shape varies
from a slightly squashed sphere/ovoid to bladder like. The outer surface is
covered in scales usually large but somewhat variable in size or low pyramid
shaped warts. The overall colour varies around the yellow end of the spectrum,
sometimes tinged with green.
The outer wall enclosing the spore tissue is verythick and tough only rupturing at the top to
discharge spores when mature. The spore bearing
tissue is initially solid & white, darkening to
marbled-black then powdery grey-brown.
The spores are dark brown, spine covered spheres
, the spines joined by ribs forming a near
complete nett like structure.
Recorded on Bramshill Plantation, Heath Warren & Warren Heath.