Scleroderma citrinum Persoon Common earth-ball
Fruit-body: diameter 25-75 mm.
Description:
Fruit-body: rounded or flattened on top, sometimes lobed, very firm, yellow or clay colour, scaly, thick, white within or pinkish, if cut when immature, and then purplish black as the spores mature.
Stem: absent or reduced to a small group of mycelial cords.
Spore-mass: purplish black.
Spores: medium to large, dark brown, 8-13 µm in diameter and covered with a delicate network.
Habitat & Distribution: On the ground in woods or on heaths.
General Information: This fungus is found in many books under the name of S. aurantium. S. verrucosum Persoon is closely related, but has a stem-like rooting base and an umber brown spore-mass. The spores are also slightly different; they are 10-14 µm in diameter and ornamented with spines and ridges.
The earth-balls appear to have characters in common with the false truffles, indeed sometimes they grow partially buried in the sandy soil of woods. Like the false truffles they have been used to adulterate pâté as a cheap substitute for true truffles (see [p. 244]). It is not wise, however, to eat earth-balls as there are cases of poisoning known. Although truffle-like, they should be avoided except under the guidance of an expert, as with agarics.