Earth Star fungus

Found this small Earth Star fungus, along with several others, yesterday 26 August 2012, at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park. When fully raised, these fungi can look like little people, with a head and legs. The one in my macro image either has stopped at this stage or else hasn't yet finished being raised from the ground.

"The Earth Star is a striking soil fungus, so named because the outer wall of the spore-bearing body splits open into a star. One metaphor refers to the rays standing on their tips, like a ballet dancer standing on their toes. Like other earthstars, the outer, leathery wall (peridium) splits open into the rays of a star, but the rays fold down into "legs" that support the spherical spore case that sits on a short stalk or pedicel. The rays are firmly attached to a clump of mycelium and leaf debris." From "The Amazing Fungi " website.

This short video from YouTube (less than a minute) gives an idea of how an Earth Star splits open into a star shape and then rises up from the forest floor.

youtu.be/KY6mwnRPiRU