Ascobolus dung (Ascobolus stercorarius)
Systematics:- Department: Ascomycota (Ascomycetes)
- Subdivision: Pezizomycotina (Pesizomycotins)
- Class: Pezizomycetes (Pecicomycetes)
- Subclass: Pezizomycetidae (Pecicomycetes)
- Order: Pezizales
- Family: Ascobolaceae (Ascobolaceae)
- Genus: Ascobolus (Ascobolus)
- Species: Ascobolus furfuraceus (Ascobolus dung)
Synonyms:
- Ascobolus furfuraceus
The current name is Ascobolus furfuraceus (according to Species Fungorum).
Ascobolus dung (Ascobolus stercorarius) is a mushroom from the Ascobol family, belongs to the Ascobolus genus.
External description
Ascobolus dung (Ascobolus stercorarius) belongs to the European species of mushrooms. Young fruit bodies are yellowish and disc-shaped in shape. As it matures, the surface of the mushroom becomes dark. The head diameter is 2-8 mm. Later, the caps of Ascobolus dung mushrooms (Ascobolus stercorarius) become bowl-shaped and concave. The mushroom itself is sessile, some specimens have a color from greenish-yellow to greenish-brown. With age, brown or purple stripes appear on their inner part, in the area of the hymenophore.
A spore powder of purple-brown color, consists of spores that fall from ripe specimens onto the grass and are often eaten by herbivores. Mushroom pulp with an ocher hue, similar to the color of wax.
The shape of fungal spores is cylindrical-clavate, and they themselves are smooth, have several longitudinal lines on their surface. The size of the spores is 10-18 * 22-45 microns.
Season and habitat of the fungus
Ascobolus dung (Ascobolus stercorarius) grows well on dung of herbivores (especially cows). Fruit bodies of this species do not grow together with each other, but grow in large groups.
Edibility
It is not suitable for human consumption as it is small in size.
Similar types and differences from them
There are several mushroom species similar to Ascobolus stercorarius.
Ascobolus carbonarius P. Karst - darker, orange or greenish in color
Ascobolus lignatilis Alb. & Schwein - differs in that it grows on trees, grows well on bird droppings.