Fungalpedia – Note 2567, Geastrum

 

Geastrum. Pers.

Citation when using this data: Boonmee S et al. 2021 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank

Classification: Geastraceae, 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 species: Geastrum coronatum Pers., Syn. meth. fung. (Göttingen) 1: 132 (1801).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Geastrum.

 

References

Corda ACJ 1842 – Icones fungorum hucusque cognitorum. JG Calve, Prague, pp 1–92.

Hibbett DS, Pine EM, Langer G, Langer E, Donoghue MJ 1997 – Evolution of gilled mushrooms and puffballs inferred from ribosomal DNA sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:12002–12006.

Hosaka K, Bates ST, Beever RE, Castellano MA, Colgan W 3rd, Domínguez LS, Nouhra ER, Geml J, Giachini AJ, Kenney SR, Simpson NB, Spatafora JW, Trappe JM 2006 – Molecular phylogenetics of the gomphoid-phalloid fungi with an establishment of the new subclass Phallomycetidae and two new orders. Mycologia 98:949–959.

Jeppson M, Nilsson RH, Larsson E 2013 – European earthstars in Geastraceae (Geastrales, Phallomycetidae)—a systematic approach using morphology and molecular sequence data. Syst Biodivers 11:437–465.

 

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

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