Sphaerobolus
Sign in to savethumb|Sphaerobolus sp. on Elwha Watershed, WA USA
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 74
- With media
- 69
- Family
- Geastraceae
- Collections
- NCU, DBG, NEB, OSC, TENN-F, UFRGS
- Recorded in
- United States, Brasil, Nepal, Venezuela
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Geastraceae
- Image
- Coloured Figures of English Fungi or Mushrooms - t. 22.png
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Sphaerobolus
- taxon rank
- genus
- taxon name
- Sphaerobolus
- taxonomic type
- Sphaerobolus stellatus
- taxon author citation
- Tode
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~4 min read
Encyclopedic overview
6 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy and classification
- Description
- Mechanism of spore discharge
- Species
- References
- External links
thumb|Sphaerobolus sp. on Elwha Watershed, WA USA
Sphaerobolus is a genus of fungi in the family Geastraceae. Commonly known as the "shotgun fungus", "artillery fungus" or "cannonball fungus", species discharge their spores with explosive force. Discharged spore sacs are sticky and have a tendency to strongly adhere to whatever surface they encounter, making them a nuisance to homeowners, pressure washing contractors, landscape mulch producers and insurance companies.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Sphaerobolus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.