Pisolithus tinctorius, Seta de los tintoreros

Description:

Pisolithus tinctorius is a widespread earth-ball like fungus. This amazing mushroom starts out looking like a tough, baseball-sized puffball, but soon develops into a minor monstrosity that sticks up from the ground like a dusty stump. When young its interior is filled with pea-sized spore packages ("peridioles") embedded in a blackish ooze, but these begin to disintegrate from the top down and the thin outer rind breaks apart to expose the interior, releasing spores (often the area surrounding Pisolithus tinctorius is covered with cinnamon brown powder).

Habitat:

Under a Cistus ladanifer (Gum Rockrose, jara pringosa)

Notes:

This puffball's black viscous gel is used as a natural dye for clothes. Pisolithus tinctorius imparts a reddish brown to black sort of color to the wool. Pisolithus tinctorius is also a major component in Mycorrhizae fungi mixtures that are used in gardening as powerful root stimulators.This fungus is very useful in reclamation and reforestation of disturbed and poor soils, such as strip mines. It can survive low pH (high acidity), high concentrations of heavy metals, and high soil temperatures in the summer, along with the accompanying drought. It is also useful in the restrictive environment of nurseries. It seems to be a "super-mycorrhiza," and inoculum of "P.t." in the form of spores can be commercially purchased.