Mycenastrum corium
Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Sér. II, 17: 147. 1842.
Common Name: none
Fruiting body sub-hypogeous to emergent, 7–17 cm broad, 5–8 cm tall, compressed globose to turbinate, abruptly tapered to a pointed base, attached by a well developed tuft of mycelium to the substrate; exoperidium, white to buff, relatively thick, in age forming a thin, patchy covering; endoperidium thick (up to 2 mm) tough, leathery, blackish-brown; spores released by splitting of the endoperidium into irregularly shaped sections; gleba whitish, maturing olive-brown to dark-brown, drying medium-brown; coarse mycelial strands seen near the base of the gleba; subgleba absent; odor somewhat pungent, earthy; taste slightly astringent.
Spores 8–11.5 µm,globose, thick-walled, warted, partially to completely reticulate, with a central droplet; pedicel inconspicuous,< 1 micron long; capillitium of individual elements, thick-walled, not pitted, occasionally branched, with distinctive thorn-like projections; spores medium-brown.
Solitary, scattered, or in rings, occasionally clustered; fruiting in pastures or around compost heaps after fall rains; occasional.
Unknown.
The hallmark of this thick-skinned puffball is a peridium that splits into sections sometimes giving dried sporocarps a star-like shape. In this respect, Mycenastrum corium is very similar to Calvatia pachyderma. Though not closely related, the latter also has a thick-walled, splitting peridium that sometimes recurves in age, but lacks the thick mycelial strands seen at the base of the gleba of Mycenastrum corium. Additionally, it differs microscopically with a different type of capillitium and nearly smooth, often ovoid spores. Other puffballs with peridia that split into sections include Bovista pila and Scleroderma polyrhizum. Bovista pila is distinguished by a relatively thin, parchment-like peridium, that often has a metallic sheen, and elastic gleba, while Scleroderma polyrhizum, though possessing a thick-walled peridium, has a purplish-brown gleba, and also lacks strands of thickened mycelium at the base of the gleba.
Bates, S.T. (2004). Arizona members of the Geastraceae and Lycoperdaceae (Basidiomycota, Fungi). Masters Thesis. Arizona State University: Tempe, AZ. 445 p.
Calonge, F.D. (1998). Flora Mycologica Iberica. Vol. 3. Gasteromycetes, I. Lycoperdales, Nidulariales, Phallales, Sclerodermatales, Tulostomatales. J. Cramer: Berlin, Germany. 271 p.
Coker, W.C. & Couch, J.N. (1974). The Gasteromycetes of the Eastern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, Inc: New York, NY. 201 p.
Long, W.H. (1930). The Dehiscence of Mycenastrum corium. Mycologia 22(3): 103-105.
Miller Jr., O.K., Brace, R.-L. & Evenson, V. (2005). A new subspecies of Mycenastrum corium from Colorado. Mycologia 97(2): 530-533.
Smith, A.H. (1951). Puffballs and Their Allies in Michigan. University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, MI. 131 p.
