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Species Information
Summary: Also listed in Truffles category. Features include 1) hollow spherical fruitbodies developing at or below ground level, 2) the outer layer splitting from above into 6-10 rays, revealing the interior that is whitish to grayish then pinkish to purplish, 3) the exterior whitish roughened and dirt-encrusted, and 4) sometimes a short stem-like base.
Sarcosphaera coronaria is found at least in BC, WA, OR, ID, and also AB, AZ, CA, CO, NM, UT, (Larson). It also occurs in MI, NY, (Lincoff(2)), Switzerland (Breitenbach), United Kingdom (Dennis), Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, (Hansen). See a note on p.17 Pfister(5) concerning the authority.
Upper surface: at first a spherical to flattened or lobed ball 3-10cm across, usually with soft spot or slight depression at top, the wall splitting downward from this spot to form pointed segments or rays (usually 6-10) that open up part way to form deep cup, 5-20cm across; spore-bearing inner (upper) surface "usually whitish to grayish at first, but becoming grayish-pink to pinkish, lilac, purple, or purple-brown in age", smooth or breaking into fine scales, (Arora), 3-10(20)cm across, when young forming a hollow ball, embedded in ground, then opening at top to form a rounded hole with margin that later splits to form star-shape; inner surface pale violet when young, then violet to brown-violet, smooth, (Breitenbach)
Flesh: rather thick but brittle; whitish, (Arora)
Underside: whitish to creamy; scurfy or rough, usually dirt-incrusted, (Arora), whitish to gray-white, (Breitenbach), grayish white with violaceous tinge, (Hansen)
Stem: usually but not always present as a short thick narrowed base up to 3cm long, (Arora), without stem (Breitenbach)
Odor: none in particular (Lincoff(1))
Taste: none in particular (Lincoff(1))
Microscopic: spores "14-22 x 7-9 microns, elliptic with blunt or truncate ends, smooth or very slightly roughened, with 1-3 (usually 2) oil droplets", (Arora), spores 13.5-18 x 7-8.5 microns, broadly elliptic with blunt ends, smooth, colorless, with 2 oil droplets; asci 8-spored, 300-360 x 10-13 microns, positive reaction to iodine; paraphyses cylindric, septate, some forked at base, tips with slight clavate widening to 5-6(7) microns, (Breitenbach), spores 15-22 x 7-9 microns, smooth to minutely verrucose, (Castellano), spores 15-16.5 x 8-10 microns, verruculose under oil immersion; asci cylindric, (Hansen), spores 13-15 x 7-8 microns, broadly elliptic with rather abruptly truncated ends, colorless, with 2 oil drops; asci about 300-360 x 12-13 microns, stained blue at tip by iodine; paraphyses septate constricted at septa, often once or twice branched in upper part, "the apical cell up to 7 microns wide, with brownish sap", (Dennis)
Habitat / Range
single to gregarious in clusters of 2-5, developing at or below ground level, but usually exposed or partly exposed when mature, common under western conifers, found in spring but also summer and fall, (Arora), single or clustered in hardwood and coniferous forest, park grounds, path borders, ground, street gravel, needle litter, (Breitenbach), in spring, often near melting snow, (Trudell)
