Geastrum tenuipes
2 An earthstar at Burra, NSW
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| Geastrum tenuipes | Heino | 4 Sep 2017 | |
| Geastrum tenuipes | Woowoolahra | 30 Aug 2017 |
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5 comments
31 Jan 2018
I've not come across any mention of this species being toxic Within that raised grey-blue ball all you find is a mass of what looks like cotton wool that holds a great multitude of powdery spores. If the ball is compressed, spores puff out through a mouth at the top of that pleated cone. I'd imagine that someone with breathing difficulties (e.g. an asthmatic) might suffer if they breathed in lots of powdery spores, not because of an inherent toxicity, but simply because of a physical obstruction to airflow. This is not a rare species in the Canberra area but, despite the fact that it looks quite striking in this photo, it is easy to overlook if it appears in thick mulch or plant litter. You may see only a few at a time but occasionally large colonies appear.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.233400-35.513740
- Altitude 771.7m
- Places Burra, NSW
Sighting information
- 4 - 15 Abundance
- 8 Jul 2017 12:26 PM Recorded on
- Woowoolahra Recorded by
Collections
- Featured Woowoolahra Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Geastrum tenuipes Spore sac on a star-like base [earthstars] Puffballs & the like Fungi
Species information
- Geastrum tenuipes Scientific name
- An earthstar Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 771.66m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
3 / 7
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