Identification: Strange garden fungus

Discussion in 'Fungi, Lichens and Slime Molds' started by matsorjc, Nov 17, 2007.

  1. matsorjc

    matsorjc Member

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    Kensington, MD
    I hope someone can identify the fungus(?) from the photos that I am contributing.
    It invades our garden late each summer and remains in the ground until the end of the year. It is initially hard underfoot and feels like a round stone, or small potato. When dug up it appears to have roots and when cut open (as in the photographs) it has an outer shell of white material and an inner core of grayish matter. When the fungus(?) matures the top splits open and the gray center becomes dry and spreads as spores, or when its rained, becomes a blackish sludge.
    Any identification please, and ideas on how to get rid of it.
     

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  2. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    That's pretty intriguing. I've never seen that before. No idea what it is.
     
  3. MycoRob

    MycoRob Active Member

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    Looks like you could have a 'stone fungus', also called 'Canadian tuckahoe', the latin name changes a lot, but I'd start out with Poria cocos. I've never actually seen one, but I offer this as a starting point for some research.
     
  4. Ian61

    Ian61 Member

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    Looks like an Earth ball fungus (Scleroderma cepa)

    Ian
     
  5. stormbythesea

    stormbythesea Active Member

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    You may also wish to consider Pisolithus sp.
     
  6. Illecippo

    Illecippo Active Member

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    i think a scleroderma sp....
     

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