<< Previous Next >>

Earthstar


Earthstar
Photo Information
Copyright: Felipe Mateo and Cristina (extramundi) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1875 W: 339 N: 4174] (12818)
Genre: Fungi
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-10-17
Categories: Fungi
Camera: Sony DSC-F717
Exposure: f/8, 1/8 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Mushrooms, Setas de Galicia - Mushrooms from Galicia (Spain), 40-49 Points (Chapter 6), Flower(white) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-10-17 14:14
Viewed: 2166
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Geastrum saccatum
Common Name: Earthstar
Philum: Basidiomycota > Class: Basidiomycetes > Order: Lycoperdales > Family: Geastraceae

Here you have another strange fungi of those I like so much. The size of the ball (sac) is around 2 Cm. Although it is the same order as Lycoperdones, it is from a different and very exclusive family, the Geastraceae. There are quite few species in this family, and they all have a peridium wich opens showing the delicate spore sac inside it. Spores are also distributed when rain drops hit the sac. Some species have the ability to close the peridium if conditions are too dry, and open again when begins to rain, protecting the sac spores and making sure that the reproduction conditions are optimal (this is not the case).

Sporocarp: Fruiting body puffball-shaped at first, 1-2.5 cm wide, the peridium splitting into 5 to 8 rays yielding a final diameter of approximately 5 cm.; rays, thick, fleshy, upper surface pinkish-tan to yellow-brown, recurving from the base; spore sac sessile, 0.5-2.0 cm broad, round, smooth, brown rupturing via an apical pore, the latter surrounded by a small but well-defined slightly depressed disc.

Spores: 3.5-4.5 µm, nearly round, warted. Spores dark-brown in mass.

Habitat: Solitary to scattered from late fall to early spring in mixed hardwood & coniferous forests.

Edibility: Inedible, at least when mature.

Comments: Geastrum saccatum is distinguished from the several species of earthstars its sessile spore sac which has a small depressed disc surrounding the apical pore, and recurved non-hygroscopic rays. Geastrum triplex is similar but the spore sac sits in a shallow cup formed from splitting of peridial wall tissue; Geastrum fimbriatum also has a sessile spore sac, but the apical pore is not surrounded by a well defined depressed disc; Geastrum fornicatum has a spore sac with a short stalk and stands erect from the substrate on the tips of its rays, while Astraeus hygrometricus and A. peteridis are told apart by their hygroscopic rays.

I took the info from this site, where there is some more photos.

Hope you like!

F8 - 1/8 - Minitripod
PP: crop, levels, USM, frame, resize.
PDP, Callie, mumek, AndyB, gerhardt, japie, mogens-j, Lesley, ellis49, RAP, Crypton, marhowie, miqra, AdrianW, Robbrown, shirgold, Janice has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To miqra: I am afraid not !extramundi 1 10-20 09:38
To AndyB: Thanks for you critics. Please...extramundi 4 10-17 16:24
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-10-17 14:18]

Wow! Fantastic capture Felipe, I've seen paintings of these in books but never a photograph leave alone in real life. Beautiful shot, excellent note.

  • Great 
  • mumek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 106 W: 0 N: 178] (847)
  • [2004-10-17 14:35]

Always something very interesting from you,Felipe.Very original fungi with very good note

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1132 W: 105 N: 2609] (7531)
  • [2004-10-17 14:35]

Hi Felipe
This reminds me of the strange yellow banana flower Howard posted! A facinationg fungus, and beautiful name. Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1391 W: 32 N: 1350] (3982)
  • [2004-10-17 15:01]
  • [+]

A great capture!
I've never seen or heard of these before.
Excellent detail and a great note too as always.
Very well done.

No... Just as I though you cannot give us a strange specimen quite soon you astound me once again. Fantastic capture Felipe. This series is of the charts now.

Interesting! Never seen this before

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-10-17 17:01]

This is stunning and is going to my favourites. Now I know where the got Xmas decorations from!

Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • Galax (92)
  • [2004-10-17 17:19]

really interesting plant and frame - generally OK

Hi Felipe

Strange looking fungus - looks like a fruit presented in a bowl. Never seen or heard of such thing before but your educational note is very helpful filling in my gab of missing knowledge.

Nice colours and composition.

  • Great 
  • Lesley Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 13 N: 913] (2988)
  • [2004-10-17 19:24]

What an amazing fungi! I am so glad you have posted this for us to see. Well done!

Great picture Felipe.
A strange fungi , I have never seen this before.
Good details and nice colours.
Great note.
Very well done.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-10-18 12:17]

Otra demostracion de tus conocimientos en el tema y del buen ojo, no sólo para la captura, sino también la calidad con la que la realizas.
Bien hecho... una vez más.

tres belle espece, c'est vraiment rare de voir un champignon d'une forme si complexe ....
tres belle mise en scene avec les brindille et la mousse.
merci.

Felipe, An excellent photograph of the this particular fungi at an interesting stage in its development. Everything looks "spot on" as they say around here!. Great supporting notes..Very well done!!

  • Great 
  • miqra Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 140 W: 3 N: 23] (151)
  • [2004-10-20 7:28]
  • [+]

wow...can one eat this?

Good shot! I find Earthstars really fascinating, and beautiful too, although I think I've only ever seen one here in the UK. Technically it's spot on, good focus, sharpness and DOF - my only slight nit is that I might have been tempted to move that little twig out of the way in the foreground since it marginally distracts the eye. Informative note, and well captured as usual :-D

This one I have missed of yours Filipe , and its one that I would love to find in reality, it is a most excelent image, you can tell how small it is from the mosses surounding and the detail of the water droplets on the side of the spore capsual.

Again - a wonderful picture.
Great note fits the great picture.

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2005-07-19 4:23]

Thanks Felipe, this is so interesting. I always want to know how these things work and I was so sure they must be attached to the ground somehow. But as you say, it's a "mobile sporing device." Isn't nature amazing? Thank you...

  • Great 
  • puciu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 519 W: 0 N: 16] (2603)
  • [2005-09-23 2:40]

Cze¶æ.Ekstra grzyb i ¶wietna fotka Felipe.
Szukam takiego od dawna i nic.
Robert.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF