Geastrum fimbriatum Fr.
(Sessile Earthstar)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesGeastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
GenusGeastrum (earthstars)
FamilyGEASTRACEAE (earthstars)
OrderGEASTRALES (earth-stars)
SubclassPHALLOMYCETIDAE (stinkhorns, stinkhorn truffles, and earth-stars, coral, tooth and club fungi)
ClassAGARICOMYCETES (a class of fungi)
SubphylumAGARICOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of fungi)
PhylumBASIDIOMYCOTA (spore droppers, basidiomycetes)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar) :
1: Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
15 Nov 2015 OSGR: SU23 51° 10’ N, 1° 40’ W Vice County: South Wilts (VC 8) England
under Juniper
Image 1: Fruitbodies - basal view - white backgroundImage 2: Fruitbodies - top view - white backgroundImage 3: Fruitbody - oblique viewImage 4: Fruitbody - oblique view (2)
2: Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
19 Dec 2014 OSGR: SU00 50° 50’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
old specimen with inner layer rotted or eaten away, in needle litter under Pine and Hazel
Image 1: Fruitbody - top view - white backgroundImage 2: Fruitbody - underside view - white backgroundImage 3: Capillitium and spores - magnifiedImage 4: Capillitium and spores - highly magnifiedImage 5: Spores and capillitium - magnifiedImage 6: Spores and capillitium - magnified (2)Image 7: Spores and capillitium - highly magnifiedImage 8: Spores - profile view - highly magnifiedImage 9: Spores - surface view - highly magnified
3: Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
7 Sep 2000 OSGR: SU91 50° 50’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: West Sussex (VC 13) England
Group in Douglas Fir plantation
Image 1: Button - TSImage 2: Button - unopenedImage 3: Button - unopened - close-upImage 4: Close-upImage 5: In situImage 6: Pore - close-upImage 7: Side viewImage 8: Side view (2)Image 9: Side view (3)Image 10: Top viewImage 11: UndersideImage 12: Underside (2)Image 13: Underside (3)Image 14: CapillitiumImage 15: Capillitium (2)Image 16: Capillitium (3)Image 17: SporesImage 18: Spores (2)Image 19: Spores (3)
4: Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
15 Oct 1997 OSGR: SU67 51° 30’ N, 1° 0’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
under beech
Image 1: OstioleImage 2: Side view - close-upImage 3: Upper sideImage 4: Upper side (2)Image 5: Underside

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Palmer, J.T. 1955 Observations on Gasteromycetes 1-3 TBMS Vol 38 (4): 317-334.

Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 20 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar)

One of our commonest earthstars.

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