Scleroderma areolatum Ehrenb.
small potato
Sclerodermataceae

Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.

Introduction to the Macrofungi

Photograph

© Adolf Ceska     (Photo ID #18664)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Scleroderma areolatum
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Species Information

Summary:
Features include 1) a spherical fruitbody that is smooth when young, then scaly by cracking that starts in top part, finally appearing like leopard skin with polygonal flat or slightly pyramidal dark brown scales on a pale yellowish background, 2) the covering about 0.1cm thick, fleshy-rubbery to hard and whitish or yellowish, 3) a spore mass that is white and fleshy-rubbery becoming powdery and dark violet or dark olive-brown with very thin yellow filaments, 4) the surface, flesh, and spore mass all turning reddish when injured in the young state, 5) well developed mycelial stem-like extension at the base, 6) growth on soil or occasionally wood scraps, and 7) round spiny spores.
Odor:
slightly sweet, fungous, or not appreciable, (Guzman), strong when cut open, unpleasant, (Phillips)
Taste:
slightly sweet, fungous, or not appreciable, (Guzman)
Microscopic:
spores (10)11-17(18) x (10)11-17(18) microns, round, including the spines that are 0.5-2 microns long, yellowish brown in KOH with the spines colorless to yellowish, the spines tending to fragment at maturity; when very immature spores 9-14 x 9-14 microns, very thick-walled and almost smooth; basidia not observed; clamp connections absent, (Guzman), spores 11-13 x 11-13 microns excluding spines, round, with sharp spines up to 2 microns long; basidia not seen, clamp connections not observed, (Breitenbach), spores 10-18 x 10-18 microns, round, with abundant spines up to 1.5 microns high, (Phillips), spores 11-15 x 11-15 with long narrow spines < 2 microns long, (Sims), spores 9-14 microns in diameter excluding spines, round, dark brown; no capillitium, (Buczacki)
Notes:
It is not common in the Pacific Northwest. It has been reported from BC (Schalkwijk-Barendsen). Collections were examined from OR, ON, AL, CA, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV, Jamaica, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Tunisia, South Africa, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, and New Zealand, (Guzman), and Cameroon and Australia, (Sims). A Paul Kroeger collection from BC is at the University of British Columbia. It also occurs in WA (M. Beug, pers. comm.).
EDIBILITY
poisonous (Phillips)

Habitat and Range

SIMILAR SPECIES
Scleroderma verrucosum is covered in small scales (as opposed to having areolate surface cracked like dried mud) and has smaller spores 8-13 microns with either blunt conic spines or sharp narrow ones <1 micron long (as opposed to long narrow spines <2 microns), (Sims). S. verrucosum is smooth at first then with fine non-areolate scales, whereas S. areolatum is ornamented from the outset by fine areolate scales, (Courtecuisse). Scleroderma cepa has a thicker, smoother peridium (usually more than 0.1cm when dry), opens in star-like fashion, and has smaller spores (7.5)8.8-12(13.6) microns in diameter, (Guzman). Scleroderma laeve has a thicker, smoother peridium, opens in star-like fashion, and has smaller spores (9)10.2-13.6(15.2) microns in diameter, (Guzman). Scleroderma albidum has a thicker peridium (over 0.1cm), smooth or cracked on the apical part or with poorly defined scales the same color as the background, but with the cracks often yellowish orange, and the opening is star-like, whereas S. areolatum has a peridium less than 0.1cm thick, fine scales without cracking, and dehiscence across an apical pore, (Guzman). Scleroderma citrinum has prominent inherent rosette-like scales (i.e. each scale often with a central wart), and spores are strongly reticulate and smaller (8-13 microns across), (Arora). Other Pacific Northwest species have reticulate or somewhat reticulate spores. See also SIMILAR section of Scleroderma bovista, Scleroderma floridanum, Scleroderma hypogaeum, and Scleroderma polyrhizum.
Habitat
gregarious to cespitose, sometimes single, developing in soil or humus, occasionally on scraps of wood, in woods and open places, including gardens, in damp shady places, (Guzman), single to gregarious, on soil "at forest edges, as well as in fallow fields and in hardwood forests", summer to fall, (Breitenbach), in deciduous and conifer woods (Ramsey)

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Paxina compressa Snyder

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