''Pisolithus arhizus''
is a widespread
earth-ball like fungus, which may in fact be several closely related species. Common names include dead man's foot and dyeball. It is known in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
as the horse dung fungus, in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
as perdebal, and in Europe as the Bohemian truffle. This
puffball's black viscous gel is used as a
natural dye
Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other biological sources such as fungi.
Archaeol ...
for clothes.
''Pisolithus arhizus'' is a major component in
mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...
l fungus mixtures that are used in gardening as powerful root stimulators.
It is inedible.
The
fruiting body is 5–30 cm tall and 4–20 cm wide, with a thin yellow-brown to brown exterior layer.
The
spores are brown.
''
Dictyocephalos attenuatus
''Dictyocephalos'' is a genus of fungi in the family Phelloriniaceae of the order Agaricales. The genus is monotypic, and contains the single species ''Dictyocephalos attenuatus'', described by the American botanist Lucien Marcus Underwood
Lu ...
'' is similar.
References
External links
''Pisolithus tinctorius''
Boletales
Fungi described in 1786
Inedible fungi
{{Boletales-stub