Common Earthball - Scleroderma citrinum
Main features
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Fruitbody has no cap, stem or gills
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Found near deciduous trees
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Can reach 10cm across and 6cm tal
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Off-white to buff coloured skin to start, browning or yellowing with age
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Skin covered in dark coloured scales that get larger and more distorted with age
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Shaped like a potato
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Smell is or petroleum gas or cooking gas
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Flesh is dark purple-black, but is off-white in young specimens
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Skin leaves thick white band visible when fruit body is cut through
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In older specimens, flesh turns to grey-brown spore mass
Common Earthball - Scleroderma citrinum
Poisonous mushroom - novice identification
Other common names: Poison Pigskin, Pigskin Poison Earthball, Pigskin Poison Puffball
Scientific name meaning Scleroderma comes from the Greek Skleros, meaning hard, and Dermatos, meaning skin. Citrinum is from Modern Latin Citrinus, meaning lemon-coloured
Season - when will I find it? Summer to Winter
Habitat - where will I find it? Woodland and grassland near trees. It is a mycorrhizal fungus with deciduous trees
Description - what does it look like?
Growth: The Common Earthball is a mycorrhizal fungus growing with deciduous trees, particularly Oak, Beech and Birch
Fruitbody: There is no discernible cap on the Common Earthball. Instead it is solid a general oval shaped, like a potato. The skin is tough and off-white to cream-coloured to start, covered with small darker scales. The skin may become a green-yellow as it ages, and the scales become more coarse. It is usually 5 - 10cm at its widest point, and 3 - 6cm tall
Flesh: Inside the flesh (gleba) is off white at first, but darkens and becomes a dark purple-brown or black. A distinct while band from the thick skin is visible.
Eventually, this dark centre develops into a grey-brown spore mass
Stem: None, connected to the ground by mycellial strings
Smell: Cooking or petroleum gas
Spore colour: Dark brown
Possible lookalikes Young Amanitas, which include deadly poisonous species, and young Stinkhorns could be mistaken for a Common Earthball. However, an embryonic mushroom would be visible upon slicing the fruit top to bottom.
Small species of puffball could be easily confused with the Common Earthball. Edible puffballs would be pure white in the centre
Poisonous parts All parts of the Common Earthball are considered poisonous if consumed. In addition, inhalation of the spores is believed to cause respiratory disorders
Use in herbal medicine Thought to have some antibacterial and antiviral effects.
This mushroom is poisonous
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Hazards This mushroom is poisonous
Importance to other species None known
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
