Small earth/puff ball for ID please.

[Gerel]

I first saw these a month or two ago and assumed that they were young common earth balls. I found them again today and thought perhaps not. They are still very small 10 - 15 mm across, growing individually or in clumps of three to four on a shale bank under hedgerows and mixed conifers. The gleba was moist and slightly slimy rather than dusty/powdery. No particular smell other than mushroom.



Any thoughts?

Cheers

Steve

[NickCantle]

Have you had frost lately Steve? I was baffled by miniature Earthballs a couple of years ago, but a closer look revealed that the specimens were in fact versions of Scleroderma whose growth cycle had been halted by hard frosts.

[Gerel]

Hi Nick,

We have had hard frosts on and off for a few weeks so that could well be the explanation. I found a healthy crop of tennis ball sized S.citrinum about 200 ft further down our hill, earlier in the autumn so they are definitely in the area.

ATB

Steve

ps. thanks for your comment on the slime mould picture (have a dung day thread) having seen the quality of your pictures that's praise indeed