Fruit body: at first globose and buried or half-buried, up to 4 cm across,  exoperidium splits into 3-5 rays (usually 4), diameter up to 15.5 cm. Fully expaneded exoperidium typically fornicate with tips of rays attached to tips of mycelia layer which remains attached to litter as a cup in ground. Gleba is globose, up to 4 cm, dark brown when mature.

Microscopy: spores globose, warted, 3.8—4.5 μm, dark yellow-brown to dark brown en masse.

Habitat: associated with deciduous trees on rich, well-drained soil.

Edibility: inedible.

References:

1)    Pegler, D.N., Laessoe, T., Spooner, B. (1995). British puffballs, earthstars, and stinkhorns, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew.

2)    Sunhede, S. (1989). Geastracea (Basidiomycotina): Morphology, Ecology and Systematics with a Special Emphasis of the North European Species, Synopsis fungorum, vol. 1, p.1-534

Photo: Aleksandar Lukić