Elaphomyces granulatus?
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This is a wildlife forum, not a cooking one. Please do not ask for the identification of fungi for edibility or narcotic purposes. Any help provided by forum members is on the understanding that fungi are not to be consumed. Any deaths or serious poisonings are the responsibility of the person eating or preparing the fungus for others. If it is apparent from a post that the fungus is for eating or smoking etc, the post will be deleted and a warning given. For more on our reasons, see the FAQ page.
Elaphomyces granulatus?
My dogs regularly dig up, and eat, ‘truffles’ in our local woods. Mixed beech, birch, Scots pine and Douglas fir Angus, in East Scotland. I don’t normally get to see the ‘truffles’ as the dogs eat them as soon as they’ve dug them up. Today I found this on one of the paths. It’s about thumb sized, with a slightly knobbly skin, very hard, with black spores when cut open. There’s no apparent odour, which is presumably why the dogs didn’t find it and eat it. The usual ‘truffles’ have black spores and a characteristic aroma that hangs around the dogs until a couple of days after they have eaten them.
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Lancashire Lad
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Re: Elaphomyces granulatus?
Hi,
Bit of a strange one this!
Difficult to tell the actual size from your pics, but when you say it was “about thumb sized”, I’m assuming you mean thumb-nail rather than full length of a thumb?
From your photos I’d say it definitely does look more like an Elaphomyces species than a Scleroderma – especially with the distinct granular (rather than scaly) surface.
However, being found intact on a path, (i.e. above ground), and having no truffle-like smell, would be more characteristic of Scleroderma than Elaphomyces.
From its appearance, I’d still be more inclined to think Elaphomyces though.
Unfortunately, Elaphomyces muricatus can look (certainly externally) very much like Elaphomyces granulatus, and so, as with the majority of mushrooms & fungi, I think to be anything like sure of what it actually is would need microscopy.
Regards,
Mike.
Bit of a strange one this!
Difficult to tell the actual size from your pics, but when you say it was “about thumb sized”, I’m assuming you mean thumb-nail rather than full length of a thumb?
From your photos I’d say it definitely does look more like an Elaphomyces species than a Scleroderma – especially with the distinct granular (rather than scaly) surface.
However, being found intact on a path, (i.e. above ground), and having no truffle-like smell, would be more characteristic of Scleroderma than Elaphomyces.
From its appearance, I’d still be more inclined to think Elaphomyces though.
Unfortunately, Elaphomyces muricatus can look (certainly externally) very much like Elaphomyces granulatus, and so, as with the majority of mushrooms & fungi, I think to be anything like sure of what it actually is would need microscopy.
Regards,
Mike.
Common sense is not so common.