Barometer earthstar
Astraeus hygrometricus · 硬皮地星
Occasional硬皮地星科❓ Inedible
Non-toxic, but woody or intensely bitter in texture — not eaten as food.
The same species can be described differently across regions and stages of maturity, and countless look-alike species cannot be told apart by eye. Never use the information on this page to judge whether a real mushroom is safe to eat.
How to Tell
- Outer layer splits into a star, the rays cracked on the surface
- Rays open when damp and close when dry, acting like a barometer
- Grows in sandy soil and along roadsides
ID notes are compiled by AI from public sources, not reviewed by a mycologist, for learning only — never a basis for foraging.
Basics
- Family
- 硬皮地星科
- Hymenium
- Gleba
- Grows On
- Soil
- How Big
- 2–8 cm (overall size)
- Encounter Rate
- Occasional
- Habitat
- Sandy woodland
Easily Confused With
Collared earthstarOuter layer splits into star-shaped rays around a central ballFun Fact
Its star-shaped rays open and close with humidity — spreading wide in damp air, curling shut when dry — which is how it earned the name 'barometer earthstar.'
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