I could hardly believe my luck last Friday when I discovered my very first Collared Earthstars (Geastrum triplex) in a Cardiff cemetery!

Nestled cosily amongst the leaf litter and liberally sprinkled with layers of pine needles from the trees above, they were almost hidden from view. It was only the regularity of the little orb, sitting atop the collar, that caught my eye and, at a quick glance, I thought it must be a grave ornament. But no!

Those first two Earthstars were well past their best but, for a relatively new fungi fancier like me, they were still a delight to behold. Imagine my joy then, when I returned the next day for a more thorough investigation, to find a total of fourteen (!) growing in close proximity to the first ones. I’ll certainly be keeping a sharp eye on this area in the future to see if I can spot any more little stars that have fallen to earth.