Tulostoma fimbriatum

Morphological Features:

Head irregularly globose with the lower zone somewhat depressed, but not flat; it is relatively common for a pseudo-collar of interwoven fibers to form in this area. Its diameter ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 cm, occasionally reaching up to 2 cm; the exoperidium is so ephemeral that it is rarely observed, and the endoperidium is whitish or cream-colored with a slight grayish tint. Dehiscence occurs through a poorly delimited, barely prominent, and fimbriate apical ostiole, lacking any surrounding halo.

Hymenium composed of a pulverulent internal gleba with no covering other than the endoperidium itself; it produces basidiospores that are yellowish-brown in mass and highly verrucose.

Stipe elongated and more or less cylindrical, perhaps slightly widened at the mycelial base, scaly and sometimes longitudinally sulcate. It is covered with brownish fibers that give it this appearance, but scraping reveals a whitish background.

Flesh absent in the head, which has a papyraceous consistency and a pulverulent gleba; very woody in the stipe, lacking any distinctive odor.

Habitat:

Fruiting occurs on sandy soils, and it may even fruit in coastal dunes. It is quite frequent where it appears, even common, in warm areas with a Mediterranean or inland peninsular climate. It usually appears in small groups, rarely solitary, and fruits practically year-round depending on the region.

Observations:

A species characterized by a non-tubular, fimbriate peristome with a poorly delimited ostiole. It resembles other species of its genus; it is well distinguished from Tulostoma brumale by the latter's tubular peristome and surrounding halo, which are absent in the species described here. Other species such as Tulostoma simulans have a conical peristome; the most difficult to separate macroscopically is Tulostoma giovanellae, whose spore ornamentation differs markedly.