A small, stalked gasteroid fungus whose bright red spore case is at first encased in a thick, clear gelatinous layer that later slides down around the stem base. Spores escape through a red, ridged apical mouth (peristome). Although it looks like a puffball, DNA work places it in the Boletales, and isotopic and molecular study has shown it to be ectomycorrhizal rather than saprobic.
Generally considered inedible by field guides; not recommended. Immature specimens have reportedly been eaten in some Mexican communities, and the species has been used in traditional medicine.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Habitat
Help build this page
This page grows with the community. Here is what it is still missing:
Photos. None yet — moderators review each photo before it appears.Sign in to add a photo
Sightings. Spotted it in the wild? Add it to the map.Open the map
Strains. No public strains of this species on WeMush yet.
Track Your Own Stalked Puffball-in-Aspic Grows
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Ectomycorrhizal with oaks; alone or in groups, often in moss beds or damp, low-lying ground; spring through fall.
Distribution
Eastern North America and Texas, possibly the Southwest; also reported from Central and South America and Asia. Appears more common at higher elevations within its eastern range.
Characteristics
Spore case: subglobose, 11-25 mm wide, cinnabar red when fresh, fading to reddish orange, dry and finely dusted once the gel is shed. Outer layer: thick, translucent gelatinous coating that sloughs off. Peristome: bright red, ridged, like a stitched scar. Stem: 2-5 cm tall, 1-2.5 cm thick, made of tightly wound dull orange cords. Interior: whitish to yellowish spore dust. Microscopic: spores ellipsoid, finely punctate, 10-19 x 6-10 µm.
