Fungalpedia – Note 2566, Geastraceae
Geastraceae. Corda.
Citation when using this data: Boonmee S et al. 2021 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Geastrales, Phallomycetidae, Agaricomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi
Notes: Geastraceae [as Geastrideae] was proposed by Corda (1842) with Geastrum Pers. [as Geaster P. Micheli] as the generic type. Currently two genera are accepted in Geastraceae: Geastrum and Myriostoma. Traditionally, these genera have been considered close to puffballs (e.g., Bovista, Calvatia and Lycoperdon) in the obsolete class Gasteromycetes in the obsolete order Lycoperdales. Hibbett et al. (1997) based on molecular analyses, placed puffballs in the euagaric groups; while Geastrum is phylogenetically far in the gomphoid-phalloid clade, together with Sphaerobolus. Later, Hosaka et al. (2006) proposed the new order Geastrales (Phallomycetidae) to include four families: Geastraceae, Pyrenogastraceae, Sphaerobolaceae and Sclerogastraceae. Jeppson et al. (2013) followed this treatment in their systematic approach for European Geastraceae.
The family is characterized by globose to subglobose unexpanded basidiomata, with a multi-layer exoperidium, and an endoperidium enclosing the mature gleba. At maturity, the exoperidium splits in a stellate manner, revealing the globose endoperidium, which may have one or multiple ostioles; the endoperidium can be sessile, or with one or multiple pseudostipes. The mature spores are globose to subglobose and ornamented (verrucose to irregularly baculate or with crests).
Type genus: Geastrum Pers., Neues Mag. Bot. 1: 85 (1794).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Geastraceae.
References
Corda ACJ 1842 – Icones fungorum hucusque cognitorum. JG Calve, Prague, pp 1–92.
Entry by
Saranyaphat Boonmee, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
Published online 6 June 2026