Puffballs are a type of

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

featuring a ball-shaped

fruit body The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...

that (when mature) bursts on contact or impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores into the surrounding area. Puffballs belong to the division

Basidiomycota Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

and encompass several genera, including '' Calvatia'', ''

Calbovista ''Calbovista'' is a fungal genus containing the single species ''Calbovista subsculpta'', commonly known as the sculptured puffball, sculptured giant puffball, and warted giant puffball. It is a common puffball of the Rocky Mountains and Pacifi ...

'' and ''

Lycoperdon ''Lycoperdon'' is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species. In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear-shaped puffball and the gem-studded puffball. It was formerly cl ...

''. The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae, but they are now known to be a

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...

assemblage. The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is that they do not have an open cap with spore-bearing

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

. Instead,

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...

s are produced internally, in a spheroidal fruit body called a ''gasterothecium'' (gasteroid 'stomach-like'

basidiocarp In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do no ...

). As the spores mature, they form a mass called a

gleba Gleba (, from Latin ''glaeba, glēba'', "lump") is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of certain fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn. The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The conti ...

in the centre of the fruitbody that is often of a distinctive color and texture. The basidiocarp remains closed until after the spores have been released from the

basidia A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...

. Eventually, it develops an aperture, or dries, becomes brittle, and splits, and the spores escape. The spores of puffballs are ''statismospores'' rather than ballistospores, meaning they are not forcibly extruded from the basidium. Puffballs and similar forms are thought to have evolved convergently (that is, in numerous independent events) from Hymenomycetes by ''gasteromycetation'', through

secotioid Secotioid fungi produce an intermediate fruiting body form that is between the mushroom-like hymenomycetes and the closed bag-shaped gasteroid fungi, gasteromycetes, where an evolutionary process of gasteromycetation has started but not run to co ...

stages. Thus, 'Gasteromycetes' and 'Gasteromycetidae' are now considered to be descriptive, morphological terms (more properly ''gasteroid'' or ''gasteromycetes'', to avoid taxonomic implications) but not valid

cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...

terms. True puffballs do not have a visible stalk or stem, while stalked puffballs do have a stalk that supports the gleba. None of the stalked puffballs are edible as they are tough and woody mushrooms. The Hymenogastrales and '' Enteridium lycoperdon'', a

slime mold Slime mold or slime mould is an informal name given to a polyphyletic assemblage of unrelated eukaryotic organisms in the Stramenopiles, Rhizaria, Discoba, Amoebozoa and Holomycota clades. Most are near-microscopic; those in the Myxogastria ...

, are the ''false puffballs''. A gleba which is powdery on maturity is a feature of true puffballs, stalked puffballs and earthstars. False puffballs are hard like rock or brittle. All false puffballs are inedible, as they are tough and bitter to taste. The genus ''

Scleroderma Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. The disease can be either localized to the skin or involve other organs, as well. Symptoms may include areas ...

'', which has a young purple gleba, should also be avoided. Puffballs were traditionally used in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

for making ink by burning them, grinding the ash, then putting them in water and adding glue liquid and "a decoction", which, when pressed for a long time, made a black dark substance that was used as ink. Rural Americans burned the common puffball with some kind of

bee smoker A bee smoker (usually called simply a smoker or a smokepot) is a device used in beekeeping to calm honey bees. It is designed to generate smoke from the smouldering, smoldering of various fuels, hence the name. It is commonly designed as a stainle ...

to anesthetize

honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to mainland Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the ...

s as a means to safely procure honey; the practice later inspired experimental medicinal application of the puffball smoke as a surgical general anesthetic in 1853.

Edibility and identification

While most puffballs are not poisonous, some often look similar to young agarics, and especially the deadly

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded Edible mushroom, edible species (and many species of unknown edibility). The genus is re ...

s, such as the

death cap ''Amanita phalloides'' ( ), commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus ''Amanita''. Originating in Europe but later introduced to other parts of the world since the late ...

or destroying angel mushrooms. Young puffballs in the edible stage, before maturation of the gleba, have undifferentiated white flesh within, whereas the gills of immature Amanita mushrooms can be seen if they are closely examined. They can be very toxic. The giant puffball, ''Calvatia gigantea'' (earlier classified as ''Lycoperdon giganteum''), reaches or more in diameter, and is difficult to mistake for any other fungus. It has been estimated that, when mature, a large specimen of this fungus will produce around 7 × 10 spores, which is more than any other known organism. Not all true puffball mushrooms are without stalks. Some may also be stalked, such as the ''

Podaxis pistillaris ''Podaxis pistillaris'' is a xerophile, xerophilic Agaricaceae, agaric mushroom related to the puffballs and Coprinus, inkcaps. It is commonly known as the desert shaggy mane. It grows to 11 cm tall and thrives in deserts and semi-deserts o ...

'', which is also called the "false shaggy mane". There are also a number of false puffballs that look similar to the true ones.

Stalked

Stalked puffballs species: * '' Battarrea phalloides'' * '' Calostoma cinnabarina'' (Stalked Puffball-in-Aspic) * '' Pisolithus tinctorius'' * ''

Tulostoma ''Tulostoma'' is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae. Species in the genus are commonly known as stalkballs, or stalked puffballs. Fossils of ''Tulostoma'' have been reported from 12 million year old rocks in central England and 13.5 mil ...

'' (genus)

True

True puffballs genera and species: * '' Bovista'' – various species, including: ** '' Bovista aestivalis'' ** '' Bovista dermoxantha'' ** '' Bovista nigrescens'' ** ''

Bovista plumbea ''Bovista plumbea'', commonly known as the tumbling puffball, tumbleball, or paltry puffball,Bovista ...

'' * '' Calvatia'' – various species, including: ** '' Calvatia bovista'' ** '' Calvatia craniiformis'' ** '' Calvatia cyathiformis'' ** ''

Calvatia gigantea ''Calvatia gigantea'', commonly known in English as the giant puffball, is a puffball mushroom commonly found in meadows, fields, and deciduous forests in late summer and autumn. It is found in temperate areas throughout the world. Taxonomy T ...

'' ** '' Calvatia booniana'' ** '' Calvatia fumosa'' ** '' Calvatia lepidophora'' ** '' Calvatia pachyderma'' ** '' Calvatia sculpta'' ** '' Calvatia subcretacea'' – edible ** '' Calbovista subsculpta'' * '' Handkea'' – various species, including: ** '' Handkea utriformis'' * ''

'' – various species, including: ** '' Lycoperdon candidum'' ** '' Lycoperdon echinatum'' ** '' Lycoperdon fusillum'' ** ''

Lycoperdon umbrinum ''Lycoperdon umbrinum'', commonly known as the umber-brown puffball, is a type of Puffball mushroom in the genus ''Lycoperdon''. It is a saprophyte, and grows mainly in coniferous forests. It is found in China, Europe, Africa, and North America ...

'' * ''

'' – various species, including: ** '' Scleroderma auratium'' ** ''

Scleroderma geaster Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. The disease can be either localized to the skin or involve other organs, as well. Symptoms may include areas of ...

'' – not edible

False

False puffballs species: ** '' Endoptychum agaricoides'' ** '' Nivatogastrium nubigenum'' ** ''

'' ** '' Rhizopogon rubescens'' ** '' Truncocolumella citrina''

Classification

Major orders: *

Agaricales The Agaricales are an order (biology), order of fungi in the division (mycology), division Basidiomycota. As originally conceived, the order contained all the agarics (gilled mushrooms), but subsequent research has shown that not all agarics are ...

(including now-obsolete orders Lycoperdales, Tulostomatales, and

Nidulariales The Nidulariaceae ('nidulus' - small nest) are a family (biology), family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Commonly known as the bird's nest fungi, their fruiting body, fruiting bodies resemble tiny egg-filled birds' nests. As they are saprobic ...

) ** Basidiomycetes: Agaricales: Lycoperdaceae: ''Calvatia'' *** '' Calvatia booniana'' *** '' Calvatia bovista'' ('' Handkea utriformis'') *** '' Calvatia craniiformis'' *** '' Calvatia cyathiformis'' *** '' Calvatia fumosa'' (Handkea fumosa) *** ''

'' *** '' Calvatia lepidophora'' *** '' Calvatia rubroflava'' *** '' Calvatia sculpta'' *** ''Calvatia subcretacea'' (''Handkea subcretacea'') ** Basidiomycetes: Agaricales: Lycoperdaceae: ''Lycoperdon'' *** '' Lycoperdon foetidum'' ('' Lycoperdon nigrescens'') *** '' Lycoperdon perlatum'' *** '' Lycoperdon pulcherrimum'' *** '' Lycoperdon pusillum'' *** '' Lycoperdon pyriforme'' ** Basidiomycetes: Agaricales: Lycoperdaceae: ''Vascellum'' *** '' Vascellum curtisii'' *** '' Vascellum pratense'' – edible when interior is white *

Geastrales Geastrales is an order (biology), order of puffballs, gasterocarpic Basidiomycota, basidiomycetes (fungi) that are related to Gomphales. The order contains the family (biology), families Geastraceae, which includes the "earthstars" formerly place ...

and Phallales (related to Cantharellales), ** Basidiomycetes: Phallales: Geastraceae: ''Geastrum'' *** '' Geastrum coronatum'' *** '' Geastrum fornicatum'' *** '' Geastrum saccatum'' * Sclerodermatales (related to

Boletales The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes. ...

) ** Basidiomycetes: Boletales: Sclerodermataceae: ''Scleroderma'' *** '' Scleroderma areolatum'' *** '' Scleroderma bovista'' *** '' Scleroderma cepa'' *** ''

Scleroderma citrinum ''Scleroderma citrinum'', commonly known as the common earthball, pigskin poison puffball, or common earth ball, is a species of earthball fungus found in Europe and in North America. It is the most common species of Scleroderma (genus), earthba ...

'' *** '' Scleroderma meridionale'' *** '' Scleroderma michiganense'' *** '' Scleroderma polyrhizum'' *** '' Scleroderma septentrionale'' * Various false-truffles ( hypogaeic gasteromycetes) related to different hymenomycete orders Similarly, the true truffles ( Tuberales) are gasteroid

Ascomycota Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The def ...

. Their ascocarps are called tuberothecia.

Footnotes

References

Homobasidiomycetes
at the Tree of Life Web Project

External links

{{Authority control Edible fungi Fungus common names Basidiomycota Mushroom types