Pea Rock Fungus

The Pea Rock Fungus forms fruiting bodies that are attached to the soil by a short stalk and fibrous, cord-like strands. They vary in shape from nearly round, to oval and somewhat flattened, to inverted pear-shaped; the size varies from 5 - 20 cm (2 - 8") high to 4 - 10 cm (1.75 - 4") wide. The outer covering of the fruiting body is thin, smooth, and ochre-colored when young, becoming dark brown at maturity. Very young specimens are white inside, but they darken as the pea-shaped structures in which the spores are formed begin to develop. When the spores are mature the tissue enclosing them disintegrates, so that the interior of a fully mature fruiting body is filled by a powdery, brown mass of spores intermixed with slender strands. The spores are released when the thin, brittle outer covering of the fruiting body breaks into fragments and falls away. The exposed spores are dispersed by air currents, raindrops, and by insects.

The fruiting bodies of the Pea Rock Fungus occur almost anywhere, solitary or in groups, in dry pine woods, open fields and pastures, and along driveways and roadsides. They are easily overlooked, as their color blends in with soil and the forest floor.