''Disciseda bovista'' is a rare species of gasteroid fungus in the family

Agaricaceae The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and include the genus ''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. Taxonomy The family Agaricaceae was publishe ...

. It was first described as ''Geastrum bovista'' by

Johann Friedrich Klotzsch Johann Friedrich Klotzsch (9 June 1805 – 5 November 1860) was a German pharmacist and botanist. His principal work was in the field of mycology, with the study and description of many species of mushroom. Klotzsch was born in Wittenberg. Origi ...

in 1843.

Paul Christoph Hennings Paul Christoph Hennings (November 27, 1841 – October 14, 1908) was a German mycologist and herbarium curator. He discovered the study of cryptogams and mushrooms as a volunteer at the botanical garden. Although circumstances initially prevente ...

transferred it to the genus '' Disciseda'' in 1903.

Description

The whitish to greyish-brown fruitbodies of ''Disciseda bovista'' are roughly spherical, measuring in diameter and tall. The base of mature fruitbodies is cushioned by a thick pad of

mycelium Mycelium (: mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Its normal form is that of branched, slender, entangled, anastomosing, hyaline threads. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are fo ...

encrusted with soil and plant debris. There is an irregularly shaped (and often torn) opening (

ostiole An ''ostiole'' is a small hole or opening through which algae or fungi release their mature spores. The word is a diminutive of wikt:ostium, "ostium", "opening". The term is also used in higher plants, for example to denote the opening of the ...

) at the top of the fruitbody, usually 1–2 mm in diameter. The inside of the fruitbody contains the brown

gleba Gleba (, from Latin ''glaeba, glēba'', "lump") is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of certain fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn. The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The conti ...

, which is initially cottony before becoming powdery after the

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...

s mature. The spores are strongly ornamented, and measure 6–7

μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...

. '' Disciseda candida'' is quite similar in appearance, but has smaller spores (3.5–5.5 μm) with finer surface ornamentation.

Habitat and distribution

''Disciseda bovista'' grows on the ground in sunny, dry, and sandy locales that are often

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

-like. It is found in North America and Europe. Because of its rare occurrence in Europe, it has been placed on the

Regional Red List A Regional Red List is a report of the threatened status of species within a certain country or region. It is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, an inventory of the conservation status of species on a global scale. Regional Red ...

s of several countries.

References

External links

* Fungi described in 1843 Agaricaceae Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungus species {{agaricaceae-stub