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Species Information
Summary: {See also Earthstars Table.} Features include 1) a fruitbody 4.5-8cm or more across when the outer covering of the fruitbody has expanded out into 7-12 star-like non-hygroscopic rays, leaving the exterior of the rays encrusted with debris, 2) an inner flesh layer whitish to dark brown but not pinkish, 3) a pale brown to dark brown spore case on a stalk, 4) opening by a distinct cone-shaped peristome that is fibrillose, sometimes with a paler margin, and 5) spores that are round and warty. The use of this name is complicated. Pegler(4) synonymizes Geastrum limbatum Fr. with Geastrum coronatum Pers. To simplify somewhat we have kept separate the descriptions given for the name Geastrum limbatum sensu Bresadola, although it is not clear that a different species is being described. Geastrum coronatum (Schaeff.) Schroet. is a different taxon however, which Breitenbach(2) give as a synonym of Geastrum quadrifidum Pers.: Pers. Pegler(4) give Lycoperdon coronatum Scop. as a synonym of Geastrum quadrifidum Pers. and selects the Breitenbach(2) photograph as illustrative of the species. Bates(1) gives both synonymies. To complicate things further, Smith(49) uses the name Geastrum coronatum Pers. for what is eventually called Geastrum quadrifidum (see that species).
A collection from BC at the University of British Columbia was collected by T. Goward and determined by S. Redhead as G. coronatum, but it not clear which sense is being used. Another collection at the University of British Columbia was collected from BC by Trevor Goward and determined by Scott Redhead as Geastrum pseudolimbatum. G. pseudolimbatum Hollos is a homotypic synonym of Geastrum coronatum f. pseudolimbatum (Hollos) Dorfelt & Mull.-Uri, according to the online Species Fungorum, accessed September 6, 2012.
Outer Surface: at first underground, rising above the ground, 1.5-4cm across, nearly spherical or somewhat depressed, encrusted with debris; expanded fruitbody 4.5-8(10)cm across, the exoperidium split into 7-12 non-hygroscopic rays; outermost mycelial layer of rays "encrusted with soil and debris, occasionally left as a cup-like structure in the ground"; middle fibrous layer of the rays grayish white when exposed; innermost pseudoparenchymatous layer of rays fleshy, up to 0.5cm thick, "whitish or pale brown, becoming dark brown, but not pinkish, drying to leave irregular, net-like remains", (Pegler), splitting into 5-10 pointed rays, (Buczacki)
Inner layer: spore case 1.9-2.8(3.4)cm in diameter, more or less spherical or depressed, "at first pale brown with a thin, felty layer of hyphae", but not erect hairs, becoming almost smooth and darker, gray-brown to blackish; peristome [mouth] fibrillose "fibrillose, circular or broadly ellipsoid, sometimes with a paler margin, distinctly delimited or not", (Pegler)
Spore Mass: spore mass dark brown when mature, often with a purple tinge; columella "whitish, cylindric to clavate or irregular in form", (Pegler)
Stem: spore case with a stalk (Pegler)
Microscopic: spores 4.5-5.5 microns in diameter, excluding ornamentation, 5-6.2(6.5) microns in diameter with ornamentation, round, dark brown, verruculose, verruculae 0.3-0.6 microns high, often partly coalescent, 0.5-1(1.5) microns wide; basidia not seen; capillitial hyphae pale yellowish brown, thick-walled, "with narrow, discontinuous lumen, gradually tapered to the tips, partially finely encrusted, especially towards the tips", (Pegler), spores 3.5-4.5 microns excluding warts (Buczacki)
Habitat / Range
various, usually on well-drained soil, often in hedgerows, (Pegler for Britain), usually in small, trooping or +/- tufted groups, fall, (Buczacki)
Similar Species
Geastrum fimbriatum is smaller with a usually sessile fruitbody (stalk of spore case usually absent), (Pegler(4)). Geastrum rufescens has "minutely puberulent" spore case surface, and smaller spores, (Pegler(4)). Geastrum minimum is smaller with paler spore case, a usually distinctly delimited peristome, and slightly larger spores, (Pegler(4)).
