Common or not?

[waynehicks1]

Is this just a Common Earthball?






Regards

Wayne

[fairplay]

No this ain't common - the skin seems to be cracking which is a characteristic of the Onion Earthball, Scleroderma cepa, but the peridium (skin or outer layer) on S.cepa is much thicker and also lacks that short 'stem' (pseudostipe) shown in your photo.

S.citrinum also does not have that pseudostipe shown in your photo, so I think this is more likely to be an unusual skin-paterned, S.areolatum, although the pseudostipe is on the long side - which could rule this out. If so, that only leaves S.bovista, but that has a very thin peridium.

Neil.

[waynehicks1]

Thank you Neil, most helpful.

After browsing the net for a while I came across a picture of S.areolatum that looks similar to the specimen in my photo. Notice the similar cracking of the skin and also the red/pink colouration when cut in half.



Have I joined the dots all wrong?

Regards

Wayne

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by waynehicks1

Thank you Neil, most helpful.

After browsing the net for a while I came across a picture of S.areolatum that looks similar to the specimen in my photo. Notice the similar cracking of the skin and also the red/pink colouration when cut in half.



Have I joined the dots all wrong?

Regards

Wayne

no I think that's a pretty good shout - send me some spores and I can tell you for sure . . .

Chris

[waynehicks1]

Chris, if I can get back to the site and collect another specimen I'll take you up on that.

Much appreciated

Wayne

[fairplay]

Now if you had shown that latest photo in the first place ........
Yes, S.areolatum for sure.

Neil.

[Chris Yeates]

hi Wayne

material arrived safely . . . . spores with narrow spines; 9 - 10.5µm diameter

despite the macro-appearance, which is rather atypical in any case, microscopically it's classic Scleroderma verrucosum

ironically about the only species not mentioned on this thread . . . .

microscopes rule!

cheers

Chris

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Now if you had shown that latest photo in the first place ........
Yes, S.areolatum for sure.

Neil.

DID I SAY THAT ?

At least Chris says the shape is atypical for this species.
S.verrucosum is supposed to have a well developed stipe much more enlarged than that shown in the photo.

Photos can lie, but not the microscope.

Neil.

[waynehicks1]

Chris, thank you very much for your time and effort, much appreciated.

So nice to have a definitive result, hooray

Many thanks

Wayne