Sarcosphaera coronaria (Jacq. ex Cooke) Boud.
violet star cup
Pezizaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
violet star cup
Pezizaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
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.
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)
Notes:
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.
EDIBILITY
not recommended: a few people are adversely affected by it, (Arora), edible cooked, but indigestible for some, poisonous raw, (Lincoff(1))
Habitat and Range
Habitat
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)
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Fomes tinctorius Ellis & Everh.
Repetobasidium vile var. macrosporum Oberw.
Sarcosphaera crassa (Santi) Pouzar
Sarcosphaera dargelasii (Gachel) Nannf.
Sarcosphaera eximia (Durieu & Lev.) Maire