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Puffballs & earthstars

Leopard Earthball

Scleroderma areolatum

Leopard EarthballJerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0

About this fungus

Leopard Earthball is listed in the Shroomify field guide as a puffballs & earthstars fungus in the Sclerodermataceae family. Most commonly found in damp deciduous woodland, however they do also grow near conifers

A note on identification
This profile is a guide rather than a guarantee. If you are considering eating a wild mushroom, check the whole specimen and its possible lookalikes carefully. Do not eat it if you are unsure of the identification.

Photographs

Another view of Leopard EarthballH. Krisp / CC BY 3.0

Further reading

Wikipedia · First Nature · MushroomExpert.com

The Shroomify Research Project

What the records suggest about Leopard Earthball

The project has analysed over a million matched fungal events alongside weather and habitat data. These findings describe patterns in the study, not conditions that every fruitbody must follow.

Weather or season?

Recent weather added a smaller but repeatable signal after the normal seasonal pattern had been allowed for.

Weather response

When does this mushroom tend to appear?

The middle line means there was no difference between this species and other fungi recorded in the same area and part of the season. Warmer and cooler always mean warmer or cooler than normal for that place and time of year, not absolute temperature.

Increase linked with more recordsDecrease linked with more recordsNo clear linkThin line shows uncertainty

Rainfall

Rainier than normal conditions 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records.

Rainier than normalNo changeDrier than normalRainfall 0 to 3 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 4 to 7 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 8 to 14 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainfall 15 to 21 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Rainier than normal conditions 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Rainier than normal conditions 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.0-34-78-1415-2122-3031-60Days before the record

Soil moisture

Wetter than normal soil 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records.

Wetter than normalNo changeDrier than normalSoil moisture 0 to 3 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Soil moisture 4 to 7 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Wetter than normal soil 8 to 14 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 15 to 21 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Wetter than normal soil 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.0-34-78-1415-2122-3031-60Days before the record

Soil temperature

Cooler than normal soil 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records.

Warmer than normalNo changeCooler than normalSoil temperature 0 to 3 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Soil temperature 4 to 7 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Soil temperature 8 to 14 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Soil temperature 15 to 21 days beforehand did not show a clear link with how often this species was recorded.Cooler than normal soil 22 to 30 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.Cooler than normal soil 31 to 60 days beforehand was linked with more records of this species.0-34-78-1415-2122-3031-60Days before the record

Each point is a separate matched comparison for that weather measure and time window. Clear results must have a meaningful effect, adequate geographic coverage and the same direction in odd and even years. These are associations in field records, not rules or forecasts.

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