Geastrum rufescens (Rosy earthstar)
Family
Geastraceae
Location
Europe, North America and Asia
Dimensions
2.5 - 5 cm diameter
Edibility
This site contains no information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.
Description
Geastrum rufescens, commonly known as the Rosy earthstar, is a globe-shaped fruiting body that is pale brown in colour and opens up as it matures. The outer skin of the fruiting body splits into a star shape. Inside, there is a pale grey to grey buff ball that houses the spores. This species typically grows in clusters in light soil, often found near decaying hardwood stumps, during the summer to fall season.

Fruiting body first globe-shaped, yellow-brown, partially submerged in the substrate, covered with mycelium that picks up dirt and debris. Opens on maturity so its outer skin splits into a star shape with 6–8 pink to pinkish tan, radiating, pointed arms.

Microscopic Features: The spores are globose, measuring 3-5 µm in size and adorned with low, dense spines up to 0.5 µm in length. They appear brownish to brown when treated with KOH.

Geastrum rufescens on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.

The second photo is by Jimmy Craine and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Many mushrooms are poisonous and some are lethally poisonous. It can be very difficult to distinguish between an edible and a poisonous mushroom. Because of that, we strongly advise against consuming wild mushrooms, and this site does not contain any information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.

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