E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Summary:
{See also Earthstars Table.} Features include 1) a large sized fruitbody, the outer wall splitting into 4-8 non-hygroscopic rays that fold back and bend under the spore case, 2) the pinkish brown inner layer of the rays breaking so that a shallow cup (saucer) is left around the base of the spore case, 3) a stalkless spore case smooth and tan, grayish or reddish brown, with an apical pore area radially fibrillose, broadly conic, delimited by a faint circular depression and often by a pale halo, 4) a spore mass deep brown to smoky brown and powdery, and 5) round warty spores.

Geastrum triplex has been found in mixed forests in ID and OR, (Ramsey). It was reported from BC (in Redhead(5)), and from CA (Arora), and is widely distributed in North America, (Lincoff(2)). It is found in Europe (Breitenbach), and common in Asia (Miller(14)). The species was examined from AZ, and previously reported from AL, AZ, FL, IL, MD, MI, MO, NJ, NM, OH, PA, TX, WA, and WI, Canada, China, Europe, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Mexico and South America, (Bates). There are collections from BC at Pacific Forestry Centre and the University of British Columbia (the latter also with collections from AB, IN, MN).

Outer Surface:
above ground, when unopened "distinctly umbonate and onion-shaped, with basal tuft of mycelium, not encrusted with debris"; 3.6-12.5cm across when expanded, splitting into (4)5-7 non-hygroscopic rays, "arched, sometimes recurved under the fruitbody"; outermost mycelial layer of rays persistent, at first violaceous pink, "later buff to yellowish brown, developing paler, longitudinal splits large scales [sic]", this mycelial layer without radial splitting and not encrusting debris, middle fibrous layer of rays papery, pale buff or pale gray-brown; innermost pseudoparenchymatous layer "fleshy, whitish to pale buff", often darker when old or dry, "commonly splitting at the margin of the exoperidial disc and becoming raised into a conspicuous collar, hard and rather brittle when dry", (Pegler), umbonate, 1-2.5cm across, 1-3cm spherical to flattened or bulb-like when young, the outer wall splitting at maturity into 4-8 rays that unfold and bend under the spore case, 3-10cm when rays expanded, rays not hygroscopic, usually free of debris on outer (lower) surface, upper surface "with a rather thick, fleshy, pinkish to tan or brown layer that cracks into patches, the central region usually breaking loose to form a broad cup or saucer around the spore case", (Arora), exoperidium [outer layer] up to 0.5cm thick, splits in star-like fashion into (4)5-6(7) rays, when these turn downward and outward, part of the rays split circularly forming a collar-like rim that surrounds the spore case like a gutter, rays cream-colored inside and out when young, later brown to gray-brown and longitudinally fissured on the outside; fruitbody 7-10cm x 2-4cm [presumably when rays expanded], young fruitbodies are closed and shaped like tulip bulb, usually embedded in the ground, (Breitenbach), 3-5cm unopened, opening to 5-10cm across, 4-8 rays have inner (upper) thick pinkish brown flesh layer that cracks as the rays bend back, leaving the spore case in a saucer-like base, rays 2-4cm long, up to 0.4cm thick, cream-colored, rubbery, (Phillips), at first shaped like a tulip bulb (ovate with an acute apex), (Lincoff(1)), the central region of the fleshy part of the rays breaking off in some specimens to form a broad collar or cup around the spore case, (Coker), 5-7(8) rays (primary rays usually 4, splitting secondarily to produce the larger numbers), Smith(49)

Inner layer:
spore case 2.1-3.9cm across, more or less spherical, sometimes depressed, "smooth, fawn to pale buff or clay"; peristome (mouth) fibrillose, broadly conic, "usually fairly distinct, delimited by a faint circular depression", (Pegler), spore case 1-3cm across, spherical or flattened; pale to dark tan, grayish, or even reddish brown; apical pore "often paler, slightly raised, and radially fibrillose", (Arora), "mouth conic, delimited by a circular paler area, distinctly radially fibrillose, the fibrils at the apex in groups of unequal length to form a more or less lacerate-fibrillose mouth", (Smith(49)), spore case 2.5-4cm across, spherical to bladder-like, peristome (apical opening area) fringed and usually surrounded by a lighter, sharply bounded halo; light ocherish to gray-brown, (Breitenbach), spore case opening by a central pore and usually with a distinct halo (Buczacki)

Spore Mass:
when mature, dark brown to snuff brown, without a purple tint; columella "whitish, narrowly clavate", (Pegler), deep brown to smoky brown and powdery when mature (Arora), white, firm, becoming dark brown and powdery, (Phillips), whitish at first, soon olive-ocher (Lincoff(1))

Stem:
spores case without a stem (Pegler, Arora)

Odor:
none (Miller)

Microscopic:
spores 3.5-4.2 microns in diameter excluding ornamentation, 4.5-5.5 microns in diameter including ornamentation, round, "yellow-brown to dark brown, verruculose", "verruculae mostly isolated, blunt-cylindric", 0.4-0.6 microns high, 0.3-0.7 microns wide; capillitial hyphae 3-7 microns wide, pale yellow-brown to almost colorless, "thick-walled, distinctly encrusted over much of their length", "gradually tapered to obtuse or subacute tips", (Pegler), spores 3.5-4.5 x 3.5-4.5 microns, round, warty, (Arora), spores 4-5 x 4-5 microns, round, coarsely verrucose (warty), about 14 warts around circumference, each 0.5-1.2 microns long; basidia about 20 microns long, with long sterigmata; cystidia not seen; capillitial threads up to 7 microns wide, thick-walled, brownish, without septa, (Breitenbach)

Spore Deposit:
dark brown (Breitenbach)