False Puffball - Reticularia lycoperdon

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    Alt Name
    Enteridium lycoperdon
    Cauliflower Slime Mould
    Description

    It starts off as a white globular mass about the size of half a golf ball, and then develops a silver-grey papery skin beneath which the brown spores develop.ÿWhen the seeds have been dispersed all they leave behind is a faint brown 'spore print' patch on the tree bark.

    Identification difficulty
    Habitat

    On tree bark.

    When to see it

    Spring.

    UK Status

    Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.

    VC55 Status

    Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

    • David Nicholls
      Thornton Reservoir
      27 April 2013
    • Steve Mathers
      Beacon Hill CP
      15 March 2017
    • Annie Smith
      Charnwood Lodge NR
      21 April 2017

    Leicestershire & Rutland Map

    MAP KEY:

    Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
    Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

    UK Map

    • Hip-Humblebee
      Uni. of Leic. Att'nboro. Arb. Knighton
      16 April 2015
    • Hip-Humblebee
      Uni. of Leic. Att'nboro. Arb. Knighton
      16 April 2015
    • Annie Smith
      Charnwood Lodge NR
      21 April 2017
    • Annie Smith
      Charnwood Lodge NR
      21 April 2017
    • Graham Calow
      Burbage, Sheepy Wood
      16 April 2019
      maturing with smoother surface
    • Graham Calow
      Burbage, Sheepy Wood
      16 April 2019
      young specimen