Summary:
Features include 1) a spherical to lobed fruitbody with a thick rind-like skin that is pimpled on the exterior and marbled in cross-section, the surface color yellow-brown to ocher brown, 2) a spore mass that is cottony to powdery, colored grayish to purplish when mature and often separated into chambers by whitish bands, and 3) large spores that are round with short spines and are produced on mostly 8-spored asci. Elaphomyces ''muricatus'' may be parasitized by Cordyceps. It is abundant among truffles in the Pacific Northwest [and common elsewhere in North America], but represents a species complex temporarily designated by a European name, none in the Pacific Northwest being identical with the Europeans species (Trappe(13)). The description is derived from Arora(1) for Elaphomyces muricatus group except where specified.

Interior:
at first hollow, soon stuffed with cottony tissue, eventually becoming powdery when spores mature; white at first, soon grayish to purplish (and often separated into chambers by whitish sterile bands), finally becoming blackish and uniformly powdery, (Arora), somewhat gooey when young, becoming a fine black powder (Trappe, M.(3))

Odor:
not very distinctive, (Arora), metallic, unpleasant (Trappe, M.(3))

Microscopic:
spores 18-30 x 18-30 microns, "round, warted or warted-spiny, dark brown to black under the microscope"; asci "round to pear-shaped or irregular, mostly 8-spored, not forming a palisade (hymenium) and disintegrating soon after the spores form (and before they completely mature)"

Notes:
Elaphomyces muricatus has been reported from BC in Redhead(5), from WA by Jumpponen(1), from OR by Luoma(1), and from CA by Desjardin(6). It is found in the United Kingdom (Hawker(1)).

EDIBILITY

unknown