Geastrum triplex - Collared Eathstar

[cybershot]

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

[cybershot]

Thanks guys

[widgeon0]

Excellent illustration,very imformative well done.

[cybershot]

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:

[cybershot]

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!

[cybershot]

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

[cybershot]

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

[Kayleigh]

Fascinating..I have never seen anything like this before..Thank you for the interesting lesson.

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by cybershot

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

TIA

David

I wish I could help but I can't.

I found what I thought were some unusual earthstars early in 2007 at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve. Some had no signs of a collar, some had the spore sac on a distinct neck, and some were tiny, with a spore sac only about 15mm in diameter. I thought there could be at least two species amongst them.

So I emailed Peter Roberts at Kew with a description and asked if I could send them down to him for an identification. He said that, as they were fruiting bodies from 2006, there was little point in sending them because they would have lost all the important characters needed for a positive identification. Earthstars can be difficult to identify at the best of times but without very fresh specimens you are on to a loser.

From my descriptions he suggested that they could just be Geastrum triplex at the limits of the range of variability of this species.

So if Kew can't help with old specimens such as those in your photos I don't think anyone can.

Ken

PS On old specimens the collar of Geastrum triplex can decay and fall off, leaving a neck visible below the spore sac.

[cybershot]

Thanks to Ken for a timely and enlightening response which just prevented me declaring protestations of delight in having found examples with the attributes of G. rufescens

David

[cybershot]

As the first of this season's crop are just emerging

Emerging Geastrum.sp

I would be interested to hear from anyone who can enlighten us further on the confusing subject of Geastrum species (Earthstars)

Further reading and info on WAB:

Monster Earthstars

Geastrum sp?

Memo to self : Must update A to Z

Memo to FJ: please correct my typo in the title of this thread

David

[fairplay]

Anybody seriously interested in Earthstars should get hold of a copy of British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns, published by Kew ISBN 0 947643 81 8

It is well illustrated with good photographs and line drawings showing microscopic detail of important ID features.

Neil.

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Anybody seriously interested in Earthstars should get hold of a copy of British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns, published by Kew ISBN 0 947643 81 8

It is well illustrated with good photographs and line drawings showing microscopic detail of important ID features.

Neil.

Thanks Neil

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Anybody seriously interested in Earthstars should get hold of a copy of British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns, published by Kew ISBN 0 947643 81 8

It is well illustrated with good photographs and line drawings showing microscopic detail of important ID features.

Neil.

Picked up a copy from amazon at £19.80

Once again many thanks Neil

David

[fairplay]

Good on ya !! Enjoy.

Neil.

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by cybershot

Picked up a copy from amazon at £19.80

Once again many thanks Neil

David

Unfortunately Amazon never satisfied the order

[KeenTeen17]

very good. they grow near me in Lancashire as well.

[fairplay]

Hi David,

Do you mean Amazon failed to deliver ?
In which case then I would apply to Kew direct.

I noticed something very important when I went back through this thread - I found 'Monster Earthstars' highlighted and when I clicked on it, that took me back to an even earlier thread where I came across 'Earthstar Explosion' highlighted, so out of curiosity I clicked this and up came this fantastic shot of an unidentified Earthstar which can only be the very rare Pepper Pot fungus, Myriostoma coliforme

This fantastic fungus seems to have slipped passed all WAB users and most likely experts as well, including the photographer, as it is only described as an Earthstar.

There is only one comment which simply praises the photograph.

This rare fungus was long thought to have been extinct in mainland Britain where it had not been 'seen' for 126 years - until that is, it was re-discovered here in Suffolk in February 2006.

The exact location is a closely guarded secret but at the time I wrote an article on this find suggesting it has always been appearing sporadically at this location and sure enough, the owner of the land contacted me to say my suggestion was correct and that he just did not realise what they were.

I hope the photographer of this important photo can be traced so that it can deservedly be given full recognition.

Neil.

[cybershot]

A little research on PBase shows the photographer to be Chris McMahon who was living in Madrid at the time, but it didn't indicate where his fantastic photo of an erupting Pepper Pot fungus was taken. Let's hope he finds his way to WAB.
David

[fairplay]

FungiJohn,

Is it possible to change the status of Earthstar on this forum to 'An Earthstar', because if a newcomer clicks on it, up pops G. floriforme - quite a scarce one, and this could lead a whole generation into believing this is The Earthstar or the main one at least.

In fact, in British Puffballs by Pegler, Laessoe & Spooner it is given the common name of Daisy Earthstar.

(Well done on getting the I.D. of G. striatum correct in another thread by the way - I made a right hash of that.)

Neil.

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by fairplay

FungiJohn,

Is it possible to change the status of Earthstar on this forum to 'An Earthstar', because if a newcomer clicks on it, up pops G. floriforme - quite a scarce one, and this could lead a whole generation into believing this is The Earthstar or the main one at least.

In fact, in British Puffballs by Pegler, Laessoe & Spooner it is given the common name of Daisy Earthstar.

(Well done on getting the I.D. of G. striatum correct in another thread by the way - I made a right hash of that.)

Neil.

It's as good a fanciful common name as any Neil, and I have edited the entry in the A to Z which creates these links though I think StuartDH may have to intervene before it becomes operable (just testing: Geastrum floriforme - Daisy Earthstar). I also noticed that the entry for Geastrum pectinatum had also been given the common name 'Earthstar' so to avoid a similar set of circumstances I have edited that too. Btw you are as eligible as any other member to make these amendments to the A to Z where you deem it necessary to correct any inaccurate information therein.

David

P.S. Edited to say that the link still diverts to the now edited entry for G. floriforme so methinks Stuart will have to action a new link.

[fairplay]

Cheers David,

I feel 'proficient' as regards fungi, but as for working with computers and manipulating things I'm total c**p !!

Neil.