Astraeus hygrometricus is commonly known as the hygroscopic earthstar or the false earthstar.

 

Ecology: Commonly found in open or disturbed areas in woodlands; scattered to gregarious. Fruits from late fall to mid-winter but persisting in good condition for up to a year.  Not edible. Distributed in America and Europe.

Morphology

Fruit body: 1–5cm broad, round, outer wall gray to bown, exoperidium splitting into 6–15 pointed rays thick, leathery, the inner surface cracked, grey to brown becoming hard and leather-like when dry.

Spore sac: 1–3cm broad, globose, buf-brown pallid to dark greyish, thin and papery opening by a slit or tear forming an irregular pore. Gleba at first white and cocoa-brown at maturity.

Spores: brown, globose and finely warted, 7–10.5µ in diameter.

 

 

Sources:

The Fungi of California. Copyright © 1997-2016 Michael Wood & Fred Stevens. A MykoWeb Page: http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Astraeus_hygrometricus.html

 

Rogers Plants Ltd. © 2001-2016 All rights reserved. http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5578~gid~~source~gallerydefault.asp

12.27.16