Scleroderma polyrhizum

(J. F. Gmel.) Pers.

SclerodermataceaeMushroomsPotential hazards — see below

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(c) Christian Schwarz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Christian Schwarz

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Rose A. Payne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Mushroom, Fungus

Scleroderma polyrhizum fruit bodies have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for detumescence and hemostasis. They contain various ergosterol-type steroids.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, China, Hong Kong, Nepal,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A mushroom.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Scleroderma polyrhizum, commonly known as the star earthball or dead man's hand, is a basidiomycete fungus and a member of the genus Scleroderma, or "earthballs". Found in dry, sandy soils, this species begins completely buried before slowly forcing the soil aside as it cracks apart to form a rough, star-shaped body with a diameter of 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in). At the center is the dark, brownish spore mass. Widely distributed wherever the soil and climate are favorable, it is known from Eurasia and the Americas. The species contains toxins which, if ingested, cause serious gastric upset.

Notes

Also put in the family Lycoperdiaceae.

References (2)

Boa, E. R., 2004, Wild edible fungi and their importance to people. FAO Non Wood Forest Products Booklet 17
Christensen, M., et al, 2008, Collection and Use of Wild Edible Fungi in Nepal. Economic Botany, 62(1), 2008, pp. 12–23