Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Small

Diet

Decomposer

Biome

Temperate woodland

Range

Northern Hemisphere

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

The common earthball is a round fungus found in woods and grassy heathlands. Its thick, leathery skin splits open to release a cloud of dark, soot-like spores.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Basidiomycota

Class

Agaricomycetes

Order

Boletales

Family

Sclerodermataceae

Genus

Scleroderma

Species

Scleroderma citrinum