Dye Ball
(False Puffball, or Heart Rot of Birch)
Description
Fruit-body bulb- to short pear- or kidney-shaped or broad cushion-shaped with a tapered base, usually with a short stem, Ø 5-8 cm, up to 15 cm high. Upper part smooth to lumpy, creamy or ochre to greenish brown or reddish to dark brown, fleshy-leathery, when ripe irregularly tearing open.
Stem 1-2 cm high, whitish cream to grey-brown, with tapering, furrowed base, rooting with a yellowish mycelium strand. Flesh pale yellow to sulphur yellow, chambers mosaic-like, with transient walls, falling apart into multi angled, pea sized spore-bearing particles.
Occurrence
Near (young) broad-leaved and coniferous trees (Birch and Spruce) on rubble and slag heaps on strong acidic soil.