Astraeus hygrometricus - A young fruiting body is 20 to 40 mm in diameter, fully or partially immersed in the substrate. Ripe ones reach 120 mm. (peridium - the inner shell surrounding the mushroom's fruiting body) is thick and quite hard. The outer layer (exoperidium) is three-layered, hard, brown-brown on the outside. It consists of 4 to 20 triangular arms that slide outward to reveal the head. Shoulders long, narrow, thick, pointed, leathery, brown; they are often cracked. The inner layer (enderidium) is usually spherical in shape, up to 30 mm in diameter, rigid, parchment-like, usually smooth, with a mesh structure. Light gray, beige in color, with an irregular opening from which the spores come out. Occurrence: On the ground, in pine and mixed forests, on the edge of forests, in dry, sandy and sunny places. It grows alone or in groups from July to November. A very rare mushroom. Inedible