About this fungus
Leopard Earthball is a fungus in the Sclerodermataceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small, firm earthball with a short rooting base and a pale surface patterned by tiny dark scales. Each scale sits within a paler ring-like patch, producing the leopard-spot pattern behind its English name.
What to check
Look for a fruit body about 1 to 5 cm across, a tough skin less than 1 mm thick, fine dark scales with pale rings around them and white mycelial cords at the base. A sectioned specimen has no developing cap, stem or gills inside. Its spore-bearing interior begins pale, becomes brown with white marbling, then turns purple-brown before drying to powder.
Variation
The outer skin begins white, cream or yellowish and becomes ochre-brown with age, sometimes developing greenish tones. Older specimens lose some of the sharp surface pattern and split irregularly near the top to release spores.
Lookalikes
Scaly Earthball, Scleroderma verrucosum, usually has a longer, more deeply grooved stem-like base and less clearly ringed scales. Common Earthball, Scleroderma citrinum, is generally larger and has a much thicker, coarsely cracked skin. True puffballs have softer skin and remain pure white inside while young, rather than developing a marbled purple-brown interior.
Habitat and range
An ectomycorrhizal fungus on soil in broadleaved and mixed woodland, shrubberies, parks and tree-lined places, sometimes also found near conifers.
Food safety
Poisonous.
Photographs
Holger Krisp / CC BY 3.0Species to compare
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