Pisolithus marmoratus
1 Horse Dung Fungus at Shoalhaven Heads, NSW
Identify this sighting
| Pisolithus marmoratus | Pam | 12 May 2019 | |
| Pisolithus sp. | Pam | 5 May 2019 | |
| Scleroderma sp. | Nurjahan | 4 May 2019 |
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User's notes
3 cm wide by 7 cm tall dry & hard
Erupted in mowed area beside littoral forest Shoalhaven Heads
6 comments
5 May 2019
What you have here is un unusually shaped Pisolithus sp. I suspect it is P. marmoratus (Horse Dung Fungus), though the shape's not right. I'll have to get onto a collegue of mine who studied this group of fungi and see what he has to say. I'll warn you ahead he sometimes takes a while to answer!!! This group of fungi are also mycorrhizal so again did you notice what trees were nearby that they may be associated with? Good photo of something a bit different. You defintiely are finding a good range of species in you area.
7 May 2019
It is near, ( 11m ) to a tall gum tree of mixed species (or so I was told by a NP ranger) which stands alone, nearest next Eucalyptus is about 20m. Forest edge is about 30m away. It is still there looking the same as before. It is now evening of 6th. May. The fungus is surrounded by cut lawn. I hope that helps.
13 May 2019
Answer is back confirming that this is definitely Pisolithus marmoratus. The defining characteristic he said is the colour of the spore mass which is brown and not the curry powder colour of P. albus.
13 May 2019
Thanks for that. Is this fungus necessarily associated with horse dung? We do get a few horses riding by, but there has never been any dung nearby in the 10 years that we have been here!
14 May 2019
No, not associated with horse dung, just a 'nick name', a descriptor, as it were, because that's what some people think it looks like!! They are often more rounded and so that name has more meaning. It's the first time I've seen one that is so narrow.
Location information
- Coordinates 150.742729-34.844987
- Places Shoalhaven Heads, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 1 May 2019 11:19 AM Recorded on
- Nurjahan Recorded by
Collections
- Nurjahan South Coast NatureMapr Pisolithus marmoratus Fruitbody walls break away to expose the spores Puffballs & the like Fungi
Species information
- Pisolithus marmoratus Scientific name
- Horse Dung Fungus Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1055.1m Recorded at altitude