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Desert Mushroom/Black Powderpuff

Podaxis pistillaris

Photo by Bernadette S
Published on Project Noah
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28.7494, 33.7747

Field Notes

Description:

about 10 cm in height, 5 cm in diameter; "On the ground. A common and persistent fungus in arid and semi-arid areas. This club-shaped puffball consists of a papery, elongated cap on a rigid, woody stem. The cap is white with shaggy scales, often with patches of brown and black. At maturity it splits and falls away to expose a brown-black spore mass." ~fungimap.org.au

Habitat:

desert mountain plain in St. Katherine's Protectorate after a relatively rainy winter

Notes:

called in Arabic by the Bedouin "hyena's fart"

Reference Links:

Podaxis pistillaris, Podaxis pistillaris | Stalked Puffballs | Podaxis pistillaris from Fungi Down U…

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)
Bernadette S
Oh, yes, I love that name, too! So called because these mushrooms seem to come out of nowhere...like the hyenas (used to) do.
Neil Ross
I like the Bedouin name best of all. An interesting species. Well spotted, Bernadette.
Bernadette S
Thanks, CorduneanuVlad! Confirmed that species in Egypt so will go with that ID for now.
CorduneanuVlad
Have a look at Podaxis pistillaris ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podaxis_pistillaris )

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Mushroom Mapping
Mission
Biodiversity in Egypt
Mission
Wildlife of the Sinai Peninsula
Mission
Mission WILD

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Photographed
PublishedApril 29, 2014

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