Gasteromycetes Gallery

Stinkhorns (Phallaceae), earthstars (Geastraceae) and earthballs (Sclerodermataceae) - along with puffballs (formerly classed as Lycoperdacea), bird's nest fungi (formerly Nidulariaceae) and stiltballs (formerly Tulostomataceae) but now all three groups recognised as belonging to the family Agaricaceae - have long been dumped in a fictitious class known as gasteromycetes, or 'stomach fungi'. For convenience the stomach fungi are all in this gallery collection.

Phallaceae
Mutinus caninus	Phallus impudicus	Phallus hadriani	Clathrus ruber	Clathrus archeri
Agaricaceae
Lycoperdon echinatum	Lycoperdon excipuliforme	Lycoperdon mammiforme	Lycoperdon perlatum	Lycoperdon pyriforme	Calvatia gigantea
Crucibulum laeve	Cyathus olla	Cyathus striatus		Tulostoma brumale	Battarrea phalloides
Geastraceae
Geastrum fimbriatum	Geastrum floriforme	Geastrum fornicatum	Geastrum schmidelii	Geastrum triplex
Sclerodermataceae		Rhizopogonaceae
Scleroderma citrinum	Pisolithus arrhizus	Rhizopogon luteolus

Can you help?

As you can see, we have a major omission from this section: we have only one bird's-nest fungus page. If you have taken suitable pictures of species of the genera Cyathus, and/or Nidularia and are willing for us to show them - with proper acknowledgement of course - we would be most grateful. If you can help, please email us...

The gasteromycetes - puffballs, stinkhorns, earthstars and the like - are sometimes referred to as the 'stomach fungi' because they produce a spore mass 'gleba' that develops inside the fruitbody until the spores are mature.

Gasteromycetes is rather an artificial grouping but nevertheless useful from an identification point of view. A few of the larger fungi in this group - notably some of the puffballs - are considered edible, but most others are tasteless and several of the earthballs are known to be poisonous.

Puffballs

The gasteromycetes are sometimes referred to as the 'stomach' fungi because the fertile material develops inside spherical or pear-shaped fruitbodies. At maturity the fruit bodies split open to release their powdery spores. Stinkhorn and earthstar fungi grow on the ground, as do most of the puffballs - although the Stump Puffball, Lycoperdon pyriforme, (shown on the left), grows on rotting wood. Puffballs are edible when young and white throughout, before the brown spores begin to develop; surpringly, they belong to the family Agaricaceae.

Stinkhorns

Several stinkhorn species (family Phallaceae, which includes the genera Phallus and Clathrus) occur in the UK but most are quite rare except for the Common Stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus (shown on the left), and the Dog Stinkhorn, Mutinus caninus. Both occur in woodland. By the time stinkhorns make their presence known (anyone with a nose can locate a common stinkhorn from 100 metres downwind) they are most definitely not fit for human consumption, although flies seem to enjoy them. Stinkhorns belong to the order Phallales.

Where are the earthballs?

Earthballs (family Sclerodermataceae) are inedible and some are poisonous; they are now included in the order Boletales. An example is the Common Earthball...

There are more than 100 European species within the miscellaneous (non-phylogenic) group commonly known as the gasteromycetes.

For more information about the gasteromycetes and a deeper insight into the ecology and structure of puffballs, earthballs, stinkhorns and related species featured in our Gasteromycetes Gallery pages, please see Pat O'Reilly's latest book Fascinated by Fungi, author-signed copies of which are available online here...