Scaly earthball Scleroderma verrucosum
poisonousAlso poisonous when unripe; warty surface.
Identification in 5 steps
The common earthball is a hard-skinned ground fungus with a yellow outer skin and a black gleba. Unripe fruiting bodies are poisonous.
SeasonJuly to November
Spore printnot applicable
FamilySclerodermataceae
- Cap. The fruiting body is 3 to 8 cm wide, round, yellowish with darker patches.
- Underside. There are no gills; inside is a black, powdery mass.
- Stem, ring and volva. There is no stem; the base sits on the ground.
- Smell and taste. Unpleasant earthy smell. Never taste it.
- Flesh and colour change. The gleba is whitish when young and later olive to black.
Lookalikes
Young specimens are confused with the edible common puffball; black inside, poisonous when unripe.
Dyeball Pisolithus arhizus
inedibleInside it is made up of pea-sized chambers that break down into brown powder; inedible.
Common puffball Lycoperdon perlatum
edible
Whitish gleba, stump with an opening at the top, edible when young.
View on the mapSide by side
| Common earthball | Scaly earthball | Dyeball | Common puffball | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | yellow, round, 3 to 8 cm | yellow with warts | brown | white with spines |
| Underside | no gills, black gleba | black gleba | powdery | gleba white |
| Stem | no stem | round | round | no stem |
| Flesh | hard skin | thinner skin | pea-like chambers | white and soft when young |
| Edibility | Poisonous | poisonous | inedible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Humus-rich woodland soils. Lowlands up to mountain woods.
Host trees
Mycorrhizal with deciduous and coniferous trees.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Autumn, in woods.
Mushroom regions with a daily forecast
There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the emergency number and the poison centre immediately.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
Emergency: 112
Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).
Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.
Austria
Poison centre:
Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43
Emergency: 112 · 144
Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.
Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.
Conservation and collecting rules
Not specially protected.
Salzburg: Collecting poisonous mushrooms is banned, except single specimens for identification.
Poisoning
ToxinGastrointestinal toxins in unripe fruiting bodies.
SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
SymptomsNausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, sometimes dizziness.
OnsetUsually within a few hours of the meal.
What to do now: This is an emergency, even if there are no symptoms yet. Go to a hospital immediately or call 999 / 112 and the poison centre (NHS 111, England). Do not wait to see whether symptoms appear, and do not be misled by an apparent improvement. Do not induce vomiting. Keep leftover mushrooms, cleaning scraps and vomit, and tell everyone who shared the meal.
Frequently asked questions
When is the common earthball poisonous?
As long as the gleba is still whitish; ripe black specimens are less problematic, but not edible.
What is the difference from the puffball?
The puffball has a white gleba and an opening; the earthball is hard and turns black from the inside.
What should I do if it has been eaten?
Call the emergency number and the poison centre.
Related species
- Sulphur tuft Hypholoma fasciculare
- Fly agaric Amanita muscaria
- Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas
- Yellow-stainer Agaricus xanthodermus
- The sickener Russula emetica
- Spotted tricholoma Tricholoma pardinum
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Common puffball: Photo: AnRo0002 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.