''Pisolithus arhizus'', commonly known as the dead man's foot, dyeball, pardebal, or Bohemian truffle, is a widespread earth-ball like fungus, which may in fact be several closely related species.

Description

The

fruiting body The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

is tall and wide, with a thin yellow-brown to brown exterior layer. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

are brown. '' Dictyocephalos attenuatus'' is similar.

Uses

This

puffball Puffballs are a type of fungus featuring a ball-shaped fruit body that (when mature) bursts on contact or impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores into the surrounding area. Puffballs belong to the division Basidiomycota and encompass sever ...

's black viscous gel is used as a

natural dye Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berry, berries, Bark (botany), bark, leaf, leaves, and wood—and other biological sourc ...

for clothes. ''Pisolithus arhizus'' is a major component in

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (; , mycorrhiza, or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, the plant root system and its surroundings. Mycorrhizae play ...

l fungus mixtures that are used in gardening as powerful root stimulators. It is inedible.

Culture

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, it is known as the pardebal, and in Europe, it is known as the Bohemian truffle.

References

External links

''Pisolithus tinctorius''
Fungi described in 1786 Inedible fungi Fungus species Fungi used for fiber dyes Pisolithus {{Boletales-stub