Mushrooms occurring in Europe - Elaphomyces muricatus

Elaphomyces muricatus - The fruiting body is 10 to 50 mm in diameter. In the shape of a spherical, sometimes subject to local deformations. A bark of light yellow, honey, ocher, beige to brown-brown, sometimes with a reddish hue. Covered with warts varying in length from 0.5 to 3 mm, variable even in one fruiting body. Warts can be long and thin, as well as low, thick, rounded at the top, sometimes they are so poorly distinguished that the surface appears rough or only cracked. Crust is clear, in some forms it is very difficult to separate from the bark.

Peridium, 1 to 5 mm thick, soft or flexible, after drying it is always hard, leathery or with the consistency of wood. Marbled cross-section. Light beige to dark brown, purple-brown or gray-brown with regularly lighter or darker lines.

Soil on the cross-section is initially beige, later brown, and is cut with numerous lighter dissepiments, which become narrower during puberty and then disappear. The soil then takes the form of a uniform, powdery mass with a dark brown mass, in the decaying fruiting bodies it has a compact consistency with a black color.

Occurrence: In deciduous and mixed forests, in parks, also under lonely growing trees, usually under oak, birch, beech, chestnut. Most often found in areas with scarce herbaceous vegetation. It occurs throughout the year.
Value: Unaffected fungus.