An earthstar whose rays bend back and lift a purplish-gray to grayish spore sac on a distinct stalk, with a long, pleated, beak-like opening at the top. The comb-like grooves on the beak give the species its name. It is uncommon to rare over most of its range and grows in needle and leaf litter, often under conifers.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Habitat
On the ground in leaf and needle litter in open woods, on sandy or composted soil; mainly under conifers (in Britain notably yew and cedar), sometimes under broadleaf trees and in gardens or parks. Late summer to winter.
Distribution
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 Beaked Earthstar Grows
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Cosmopolitan. Relatively common in northern Europe but rare and localized in Britain and Ireland. Recorded in North America from the United States (including Hawaii), Canada and Mexico, where it is considered rare.
Characteristics
Fruitbody: rays 6-10, pointed, bending back to raise the spore sac; expanded width up to about 7 cm. Spore sac: 1-3 cm, purplish brown to pale grayish blue or grayish violet, on a stalk without a basal collar. Peristome: a long, striate (pleated) beak with roughly 20-32 grooves. Spore mass: dark brown, powdery. Spores: globose, warty, about 4-6 um (Wikipedia; First Nature).
