The fungi you see here is the fruiting body, which has a huge stone-like mass of roots bound in the soil under it. This is not called a mushroom because it does not have gills; the thin dark-brown bits on a household mushroom. Aboriginals did not eat the fruiting body you see here, but the underground part, which has a consistency of compacted, boiled rice.

This example has turned grey with age, but the fruit is white when is first emerges from the ground. It was photographed on the ground near the cottage at Manna Park. (T.Hastings 7/9/09) Click on either picture to download a higher resolution image.