#13 Calvatia cyathiformis

Calvatia cyathiformis, commonly called the Purple-spored Puffball, is from family Lycoperdaceae. It is a terrestrial puffball, relatively smooth and spherical or slightly flattened when young, often becoming pear-shaped or irregularly shaped as it matures.

It can be distinguished from other large Lycoperdales by its purple-brown spores. This puffball is reported to be edible when the gleba (spore bearing interior) is immature and white with the consistency of firm marshmallows.

The cracked exterior layer sheds to reveal spores

The skin of the fungus dries and darkens, and cracks with age, sometimes resembling a tesselated pattern (as shown in the previous image). The fleshy spore-bearing mass begins to turn purple-brown, breaks away and is distributed by wind and rain.

When the spores are completely dispersed, a soft leathery cup-shaped sterile base lightly rooted to the ground remains.

I have closely observed the growth and breakdown of a Purple-spored Puffball growing in a grazing paddock. These details can be veiwed at my Nature Blog.

The purple-brown spore mass is exposed

This is a common puffball in grazing paddocks and grassed areas in the Hunter Valley rural district in which I live. I am unaware, at this time, of its complete distribution.

This specimen has a stout base resembling a stalk

My sightings of Calvatia cyathiformis

[This will be updated with future sightings]

Hunter Valley, NSW - unimproved grazing paddocks: Nov, Dec, Jan.

Merriwindi State Conservation Area - (Baradine, NW NSW) - compacted sandy soil: Jun, Jul.

Macquarie Marshes district (NW NSW) - grazing paddock following rain: Jul.

Irregular shapes of Calvatia cyathisformis

#12 Aseroe rubra

Aseroe rubra, commonly called Anemone Stinkhorn or Starfish Fungus, is from family Phallaceae. Pronunciation Ass-er-row-ee roo-bra.

Stinkhorns are short-lived fungi rising from gelatinous egg-like sacs, and upon maturity, produce a sticky spore-bearing substance with a foul smell that attracts flies. The flies injest and trample the spores, therefore distributing them further afield providing a means of starting new fungi colonies.

Aseroe rubra with two unruptured egg-like sacs

Aseroe rubra grows in high altitude grasslands and woodlands, and is also often seen in gardens and woodchips. According to Fungimap Australia, its distribution includes southeastern Qld, eastern NSW, eastern Vic, Tasmania, and southeastern SA.

The red arms that are split at the tip, emerge from a gelatinous dirty-white egg-like sac up to 30mm diameter. The hollow stem of the fruiting body can reach 100mm, or can be ground-hugging. There are between 6 and 9 pairs of 'arms'.

If an egg-like sac is dissected, it contains a fully formed compressed fruiting body.

There are more pictures of Aseroe rubra and other stinkhorn fungi on my Nature Blog.

A wrinkled arm emerging from gelatinous sac

The ragged cup-like volva forms from the 'egg'

My sightings of Aseroe rubra

[This will be updated with future sightings]

Barrington Tops National Park - rainforest on Gloucester Tops: Jan, Mar.

New England National Park - alpine grassland: May.

Hunter Region Botanic Gardens - Heatherbrae, NSW - in mulched gardens: Feb, Apr, May, Jul, Aug, Oct, Jun 2011, Jun 2012.

Brunkerville, NSW - on natural leaf litter in mixed forest, Jun 2011.

Newcastle University, NSW - on mulched gardens, Jun 2012.

#11 Dermocybe splendida

Dermocybe splendida has the common name of Splendid Red Skinhead, and is from family Cortinariaceae. Pronunciation is Dermo-sigh-be splendid-da.

The Cortinariaceae group of fungi are typically recognised by the presence of a 'cortina'. The cortina is a veil of silky or cobwebby fibrous threads which protects the gills of a young mushroom. The veil collapses as the cap opens in most cases, often leaving hairs on the stem which then stain brown from the spores.

Young Dermocybe splendida with veil covering gills

In the image below, the fibrous veil has been stretched as the cap expands. And in the image below this, the cobwebby strands have almost completely separated from the cap.

The cortina (fibrous veil) tearing as the cap expands

And the veil is almost completely separated from cap

This attractive fungus grows in soil in Eucalyptus and Leptospermum (tea-tree) forests in eastern NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, south-eastern SA, and south-western WA.

Orange-red caps are initially convex (domed), expanding up to 90mm into a broadly umbonate red-brown cap. An 'umbo' is a dome-like swelling in the centre of the cap. A slight umbo can be seen in the fungus on the right of the first photograph. The cap is dry and smooth. This fungus can be found singly, or in small or large groups.

The stem can reach 130mm in height, tapering upwards, and can be bulbous at the base. The tapering of the stalk is evident in the following image, and a bulbous base can be seen in the previous picture.

Two distinguishing features are the bright paprika-red gills, and the yellowish base of the brown-red stem and yellow mycelium. The mycelium is a mass of underground filaments (hyphae) which are often visible at the base of the fungus. The yellow mycelium is noticable in the foreground of the next image.

A dusting of rust-brown spores can be seen on caps in the following picture. This is a common occurence amongst Cortinariaceae as spores drop from overhanging fungi. The red gills stain brown as the cap ages.

Young and mature Splendid Red Skinheads

My sightings of Dermocybe splendida

[This will be updated with more sightings]

Hanging Rock, NSW - Eucalyptus woodland with tussock grass - Jun.

Barrington Tops National Park, NSW - Rainforest, in leaf litter - Apr.

New England National Park, NSW - Eucalyptus woodland with tussock grass - May.