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Astraeus hygrometricus
Young specimens of A. hygrometricus have roughly spherical fruit bodies that typically start their development partially embedded in the substrate. A smooth whitish mycelial layer covers the fruit body, and may be partially encrusted with debris. As the fruit body matures, the mycelial layer tears away, and the outer tissue layer, the exoperidium, breaks open in a star-shaped (stellate) pattern to form 4–20 irregular "rays". This simultaneously pushes the fruit body above ground to reveal a round spore case enclosed in a thin papery endoperidium. The rays open and close in response to levels of moisture in the environment, opening up in high humidity, and closing when the air is dry.This is possible because the exoperidium is made of several different layers of tissue; the innermost, fibrous layer is hygroscopic, and curls or uncurls the entire ray as it loses or gains moisture from its surroundings.This adaptation enables the fruit body to disperse spores at times of optimum moisture, and reduce evaporation during dry periods. Further, dry fruit bodies with the rays curled up may be readily blown about by the wind, allowing them to scatter spores from the pore as they roll. "This veritable barometer is the most theatrical of all the earthstars. A few minutes immersion in water will open up old, dried-up specimens that seem as tightly closed as clenched fists.
The species has a cosmopolitan distribution except for arctic, alpine and cold temperate regions;it is common in temperate and tropical regions of the world. It has been collected in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America,and South America
Spotted in river homem félinhos beach in a mix forest of oaks,platanus,eucalypthus and pine trees. It's a puffball,i have to see the id latter
4 Comments
Thanks Yuko
Nice spot!
Thanks Victoria for the id
it's an earthstar sp. not sure which one