Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Pigskin poison puffball

Scleroderma citrinum

Description:

Earthballs are superficially similar to, and considered look-alikes of the edible puffball, but whereas the Puffball has a single opening on top through which the spores are dispersed, the earthball just breaks up to release the spores. Moreover, Scleroderma citrinum has much firmer flesh and a dark gleba (interior) much earlier in development than puffballs. Scleroderma citrinum has no stem but is attached to the soil by mycelial cords. The peridium, or outer wall, is thick and firm, usually ochre yellow externally with irregular warts. The earthball may be parasitized by Pseudoboletus parasiticus. Ingestion of scleroderma citrinum can cause gastrointestinal distress in humans and animals, and some individuals may experience lacrimation, rhinitis and rhinorrhea, and conjunctivitis from exposure to its spores

Habitat:

cleroderma citrinum, commonly known as the common earthball, pigskin poison puffball,or common earth ball,is the most common species of earthball in the UK and occurs widely in woods, heathland and in short grass from Autumn to Winter. Scleroderma citrinum has two synonyms, Scleroderma aurantium (Vaill.) and Scleroderma vulgare Horn.

Notes:

Spotted in a mix forest near my house

1 Species ID Suggestions

EduHerNav
EduHerNav 10 years ago
Hard puffball
Scleroderma sp.


Sign in to suggest organism ID

2 Comments

Thanks Edu and Jemma for the id

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 10 years ago

does look like that.

Braga, Portugal

Spotted on Nov 6, 2013
Submitted on Nov 7, 2013

Related Spottings

Scleroderma sp. Scleroderma sp. Scleroderma citrinum Common Earthball, False Puffball  Scleroderma citrinum

Nearby Spottings

Cliff Brake Bush lily Black Redstart(Rabiruivo Preto) Magnolia
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team