Mycenastrum corium
(Guers.) Desv.
Leatherstar
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(c) Jonathan Frank, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Jonathan Frank
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Kutushev Radik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Kutushev Radik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A mushroom in the Agaricaceae family, commonly known as Leatherstar.
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Edible Uses
The mushroom fruiting body is edible.
Medicinal Uses
The puffball is edible when the gleba is still firm and white. They are reportedly consumed by the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh. In Mexico, a large collection was consumed by several people who confused the species with Calvatia, a puffball genus containing popular edible members. Of the five who ate the fungus, two had gastrointestinal symptoms including stomachache, flatulence, and diarrhea; the other three did not have symptoms. Because of their thick outer peridium, M. corium puffballs can withstand hard blows without breaking, and children have used them as replacements for balls. The puffballs have also been used medicinally in Mexico as a hemostatic, as a throat and lung tonic, and for their purported anti-inflammatory properties.
Where It Grows
Asia, Australia, India,
References (1)
- Boa, E. R., Wild edible fungi and their importance to people. FAO Non Wood Forest Products Booklet 17
