Geastrum triplex - Collared Eathstar

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One of the largest and most distinctive earthstars which grows in groups amongst leaf litter under deciduous trees like beech. The young unopened fruitbody is pointed and closley resembles a tulip bulb about 5cm in diameter:




The dissected fruit body shows the sessile, pale grey-brown spore-sac with the characteristic paler ring around the raised apical pore:




Further dissection shows a glutinous dark brown spore mass:




The globose spore-sac contained inside is revealed when the outer wall splits into 4-8 pointed rays which crack as they bend back under the fruitbody forming the familiar saucer like basal collar:

[NickCantle]

Fantastic documentation! Very informative and interesting

[Nettle Runner]

This is another of those that I still have to find.
I feel better informed now.
Thanks, David.

Les

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Thanks guys

[widgeon0]

Excellent illustration,very imformative well done.

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Today I found another colony which included a specimen showing the outer casing just beginning to split to reveal the spore sac:



and others showing the pointed rays before they crack and bend right back under the friutbody:

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Today I visited the site where my original photo of the 'tulip bulb' stage of development was taken and discovered that at last, after well over a month, the outer casing has split open to reveal the spore sac. Eventually I will endeavour to capture the fully matured specimen after the rays have cracked and bent back under themselves leaving the spore sac sitting in its characteristic saucer-like 'collar'.



P.S. No, I can't identify the fly!

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Nick Cantle and I joined forces this morning to see what the wet weather had produced in my neck of the woods around Minley and while out and about we checked the Earthstar patch and found the specimen now fully matured:



David

[NickCantle]

A lovely way to end a fantastic thread and a dry month!!!

Bring on October

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Originally Posted by NickCantle

A lovely way to end a fantastic thread and a dry month!!!

Bring on October

Well Nick here we are nearly 4 months later and following some on going discussion in my Monster Earthstar thread in which I promulgated the wish to find other Geastrum species, I was prompted to take Chaka for a walk in Minley Wood this afternoon with the express intention of revisiting my original Earthstar site.

I hope I'm not getting prematurely excited by what I found:




Without getting too carried away, bearing in mind that last September the specimens found in this location and recorded above, all clearly appeared to be G. triplex, today's find of this overwintered example does not seem to display the macro characteristics which I have come to accept as those of Collared Earthstars. Atypically the rays are not bending back on themselves and cracking to present the appearance of a basal collar underneath the spore sac, which in this case now sits atop a short stem. (The size was 7-8 cm across the rays)

Hope somebody can shed some light with a positive ID or explanation.

TIA

David