I saw one of these and thought it was a decaying piece of wood. Then I walked past another one that was similar but was crumbling and deteriorating into a fine, powdery dust. As I was investigating these interesting forms, my friends Patrick and Nellie walked up. I showed them these intriguing objects and Patrick said they were mushrooms!
The genus Pisolithus comes from the Greek words piso, meaning pea and lith, meaning stone. These small, pea-shaped “stones” known as peridioles can be seen in younger specimens and contain the spores. As the fruiting body ages, the peridioles break down and release a dusty mass of brown spores.
As I read about this fungus, I found it confusing enough to want to not list a species. For example, in David Arora’s book Mushrooms Demystified, he has an entry for Pisolithus tinctorius in which he states at the end: “Its wide distribution and variable features have resulted in a plethora of aliases including P. arenarius, P. arrhizus, and Polysaccum picocarpium.”
The young mushrooms were unexpectedly fascinating on the inside. I cut one open and it revealed the beautiful peridioles forming rich, earthy golds, blacks, and browns. I am continually amazed at the abundance and diversity of life forms that can be found in my own “backyard” at Mt. Pisgah.
Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. I look forward to seeing you out there!
Resource
Arora, David. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Second edition, Ten Speed Press, 1986.
