Pepper pot  (Myriostoma coliforme)

The pepper pot is an earth star fungus; this group of fungi are named after their fruiting bodies, whose outer layers split open in distinctive, star-like rays as they mature (4). In this species, the 5 - 12 rays peel back, revealing a grey-brown spore-sac located in the centre of the disc. The sac is marked with numerous pores through which the spores are released; this leads to the common name of ‘pepper pot’ (4).

WARNING: many species of fungus are poisonous or contain chemicals that can cause sickness. Never pick and eat any species of fungus that you cannot positively recognise or are unsure about. Some species are deadly poisonous and can cause death within a few hours if swallowed.