Ident please?

Anyone know what this is. It is reasonably probably a member of the Tuberaceae, but I don't know which one, and almost certainly (by moving up an order) a member of the Pezizales. It is growing at ground level under a mature oak tree on neutral sandy loam in S.W.London.







I want to eat it before the slugs get through the bl**dy thing, but dont dare until the ident is through...

All constructive opinions gratefully received

[ 30. August 2006, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: jazid ]

 

Is it dead or alive? It's positively revolting looking! :eek: In my opinion, that is constructive! :D

 

It's possibly a truffle LoL, possibly a geopora, possibly something quite else. The first possibility suggests why I've got my greedy eye on it. The white bits are the innards as left by my friendly mycophagous slugs. It is, I am happy to report, alive and well (and growing bigger I hope).

 

Looks a bit like something left behind by a dog to me jazid.
Sorry havent got a clue, cant imagine eating it though. :D
I'm more into fish and chips.

 

If in doubt, leave it out!

Wild 'shrooms is a chancy business at the best of times and scratching around the web it seem you need spore prints AND microscopic investigation of the fruit body. Features of the Pezizales

 

I agree totally with most, particularly Frogesque - ifat all uncertain, don't chance it. It looks too like things I have found out are dodgy. Not worth the risk, imo.

 

I'll join Pete in the fish and chips, or Rosa's Toad in the Hole ... I say send the pigs in!

 

My opinion is it is a truffle or it's relative from smell ( and yes I can tell the difference Pete!) and habitat. It is above ground though, so Hmm. Never seen one like this before, it is to say the least, distinctive. I thought that it would help in the ident - your web page (for which many thanks) suggests macroscpoic features are adequate for true vs false truffles.

In either case you#re right and I wouldn't eat until a dead cert ident came through. I've been guzzling these things for a while without drama, and that's the way I want it to stay!

 

Looks like I've only got the slugs to battle it out with then :rolleyes:

 

I certainly would not eat it! There are four black fungi and this one is probably Daldinia concentrica. Also known as "Cramp Balls" and "King Alfred's Cakes". The only truffles found in Britain grow underground and are light reddish brown in colour.

 

But Cramp Balls grow on rotting wood don't they, whereas this appears to be growing in soil, albeit close to oak tree roots. Also I read that Cramp Balls have dark purplish brown flesh, although I have never seen one.

I suppose it could be a rather unpleasantly warped form of Wood Club Fungus (Xylaria polymorpha). I shall probably pick some of it and investigate further - spore prints and the like.

 

Pretty sure now it's Xylaria polymorpha. Inedible, but uneaten (!)... so bad luck everyone I'm still around :D