| Sarcosphaera | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Pezizomycetes |
| Order: | Pezizales |
| Family: | Pezizaceae |
| Genus: | Sarcosphaera Auersw. (1869) |
| Species: | S. coronaria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sarcosphaera coronaria | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Peziza coronaria Jacq. | |
 | |
|---|---|
 | Smooth hymenium |
 | No distinct cap |
 | Hymenium attachment is not applicable |
| Lacks a stipe |
 | Ecology is mycorrhizal |
 | Edibility is not recommended |
Sarcosphaera is a fungal genus within the Pezizaceae family. It used to be considered a monotypic genus, containing the single species Sarcosphaera coronaria, commonly known as the pink crown, the violet crown-cup, or the violet star cup. However, recent research revealed there are many species in the complex, two in Europe and North Africa (S. coronaria and S. crassa), other in North America (e.g., S. columbiana, S. pacifica, S. montana, S. gigantea) and Asia.[2]
S. coronaria is a whitish or grayish cup fungus, distinguished by the manner in which the cup splits into lobes from the top downward. The fruit body, typically found partially buried in soil, is initially like a fleshy hollow ball, and may be mistaken for a puffball. Unlike the latter, it splits open from the top downwards to form a cup with five to ten pointed rays, reaching up to 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 in) in diameter. It is lavender-brown on the inside surface.
It is commonly found in the mountains in coniferous woods under humus on the forest floor, and often appears after the snow melts in late spring and early summer. The fungus is widespread, and has been collected in Europe, Israel and the Asian part of Turkey, North Africa, and North America. In Europe, it is considered a threatened species in 14 countries. Once thought to be a good edible, it is not recommended for consumption, after several reports of poisonings causing stomach aches, and in one instance, death. The fruit bodies are known to bioaccumulate the toxic metalloid arsenic from the soil.