Collection #: 20
Scientific Name: Scleroderma areolatum
Phylum: Basidiomycetes
Order: Boletales
Family: Sclerodermataceae
Common Name: Common earth ball
Location: Hiram College Field Station
Habitat: Log covered with mosses
Date of collecting: October 8th
Collector: Cornelia
Notes: Cute looking, but poisoning
How did I key this out:
Fig.1 Specimen top view
Fig.2 Specimen side view
Fig.3 Buds on the top under a dissecting scope
Fig.4 Spores under a microscope
Fig.5 Spore mass under a dissecting scope
Fig.6 The opening and inside view of the specimen
From the pictures above, it is pretty obvious for us to see that this is a puffball fungi. As a result of this, we can go directly to page 677 of the book for puffballs.
The following steps is how I went through the keys:
Key to the Lycoperdales & Allies:
1. (B) Not as above (fruiting body may rupture in starlike fashion, but if so then there is no separate spore case within) (2)
2. (B) Spore mass not containing peridioles, or if so then the peridioles considerable larger than grains of sand (usually appearing more like seeds) (4)
4. (B) Not as above; peridioles absent; spores produced in a single large chamber (the spore case) (5)
5. (A) Spore case typically hard or tough with a thick rindlike skin, at least when young; spore mass white when very young but soon darkening (usually purple-gray to black) while remaining firm, eventually becoming dark brown to blackish and powdery; basidia not borne in a hymenium; capillitium absent (Scleroderma, p.707)
The following steps is how I went through the keys:
Key to the Lycoperdales & Allies:
1. (B) Not as above (fruiting body may rupture in starlike fashion, but if so then there is no separate spore case within) (2)
2. (B) Spore mass not containing peridioles, or if so then the peridioles considerable larger than grains of sand (usually appearing more like seeds) (4)
4. (B) Not as above; peridioles absent; spores produced in a single large chamber (the spore case) (5)
5. (A) Spore case typically hard or tough with a thick rindlike skin, at least when young; spore mass white when very young but soon darkening (usually purple-gray to black) while remaining firm, eventually becoming dark brown to blackish and powdery; basidia not borne in a hymenium; capillitium absent (Scleroderma, p.707)
Key to Scleroderma:
1. (B) Not as above; mature spores ornamented; found underground or above; common (2)
2. (B) Not as above; fruiting above the ground, or if underground then usually with an obvious base or point of attachment; peridium not marbled in cross-section; spores borne on basidia (3)
3. (B) Not as above; either peridium thinner (averaging 1-4 mm) or not rupturing into starlike lobes; fruiting body fairly small to medium-sized (rarely large) (4)
4. (B) Not as above ("stalk" if present shorter and/or habitat different) (5)
5. (A) Peridium (skin) covered with prominent inherent rosette-like scales (i.e., each scale often with a central wart); widespread, but especially common in forests (6)
6. (A) Peridium (skin) rather thin (typically less than 2 mm), usually rupturing in old age through a pore or slit at top; spores spiny (S. verrucosum & S. areolatum)
The species was decided after research on the picture of the two online.
Description of the species:
Collecting and keying story:
This widely distributed Scleroderma species probably requiresmicroscopic analysis for certain identification. Several similar species share most of its visible features: thin skin, small brownish scales over a yellowish background, a blackish interior, and a brownish to reddish reaction to KOH.
A look at the spores of Scleroderma areolatum, however, eliminates the other possibilities. The spores are densely spiny but not reticulate, measuring 11-15 µ, with spines up to 2 µ long.
Description:
Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods and conifers in moist, shady woods--but also possibly saprobic, since it is also found in open areas, gardens, and so on; growing gregariously or clustered (rarely alone); widely distributed in North America; summer and fall.
Fruiting Body: 1-5 cm across; round or shaped like an inverted pear; the surface smooth and bruising reddish when young, becoming scaly (especially near the apex) and by maturity acquiring a "leopard skin" appearance with small brownish scales over a yellowish base color; skin 1 mm thick or less; without a stem, or occasionally with a poorly defined pseudo-stem; with white rhizomorphs attached to the base; odor sweetish or not distinctive.
Spore Mass: Whitish and fleshy at first but soon dark purplish or olive brown, eventually powdery.
Chemical Reactions: Surface instantly yellowish brown or dark red with KOH.
Microscopic Features: Spores 11-15 µ; round or nearly so; densely spiny but not reticulate; with spines up to 2 µ long.
Collecting and keying story:
The Hiram College Field station field trip day
Phylum, order and family name cited from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scleroderma_areolatum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scleroderma_areolatum
Keys cited from:
Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora (Second Edition). This book was printed by Ten Speed Press with copyright @ 1979 and 1986.
Description cited from:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/scleroderma_areolatum.html
Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora (Second Edition). This book was printed by Ten Speed Press with copyright @ 1979 and 1986.
Description cited from:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/scleroderma_areolatum.html
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