Hello – I came across this fungi growing on close grazed open land on Fyfield Down Nature Reserve in Wiltshire a week ago. I went back today and took some more photos.
It has been tentatively identified as a ‘past its best’ puffball, but another person wrote ‘texture and colours very wrong for Puffball or Earthball species, much more like peziza. Only thing I can think of that looks like this when aged is Sarcosoma globosum or a similar species. Can you post to Ascomycete of the world and ask opinion there from global audience of mycologists’, which I did but haven’t received a reply yet.
There are no visible gills, it is firmly attached to the ground and it didn’t have a distinct smell. It is tough to the touch and was the only one which looked like it growing within a 10 meter radius. There are countless little puffballs blowing around in the wind, and there was another puffball which was larger and still attached to the ground about 50 cm away.
It measures 5 cm x 6 cm at the widest point, and about 2 cm at its tallest point. Small ones seemed to be growing out of the side of the main body, and about 10 cm away, there was an identical (in colour and texture) little one growing on its own.
I have included several photos, hopefully they are enough to provide an ID. If not, then I do have some more. I have also included the photo of the ‘little one’ which was growing by it.
I am very much a novice when it comes to fungi, and I am fascinated by what it could be – and even if it is a puffball, then it is a very unusual looking one!
Many thanks, Kim
