Common Puffball
ExploreFungi
Common Puffball
Lycoperdon
The Common Puffball is a small, round fungus that can also puff out spores! It's fun to find in grassy areas.
Habitat: In grassy areas and forests
Appearance
The Common Puffball is a pear-shaped fungus, typically white to yellowish-brown, covered in distinctive small, cone-shaped spines or warts. These warts often fall off as it ages, leaving a net-like pattern. Its soft, white interior eventually turns into powdery, olive-brown spores.
KingdomFungiPhylumBasidiomycotaClassAgaricomycetesOrderAgaricalesFamilyLycoperdaceaeGenusLycoperdon
Category
FungiRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Some giant puffball relatives can grow as big as a soccer ball!
This mushroom has no gills or cap; it's just one big spore-filled ball!
Touching an old puffball releases millions of tiny spores that look like brown dust.
Young puffballs are edible, but only when their insides are pure white!
Special abilities
Ability
Spore Cannon
Common Puffball can release a cloud of millions of spores when squeezed, like a puff of smoke, helping it spread far and wide.
Ability
Disappearing Act
The puffball's spiky exterior can wear away as it ages, changing its look to a smoother, net-like surface.
Ability
Nature's Decomposer
Common Puffball has special enzymes that help it break down dead plant matter, returning nutrients to the soil.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 3-10 cm
- Edibility
- edible
- Cap Diameter
- 2-8 cm
- Growth Substrate
- soil
- Season
- Late Summer to Fall
- Spore Color
- Olive-brown
Ecological connections
eaten by
Black Slug
Arion ater
Slugs are known to consume various fungi.
depends on
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica
Decomposes fallen leaves and wood from this tree.
eaten by
Fungus Gnat
Mycetophila fungorum
Larvae feed on the mushroom's tissues.
eaten by
Field Vole
Microtus agrestis
Small mammals occasionally forage on puffballs.
Traits
Shade Tolerant
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Spore Producing
Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Also known as
Puffball
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Common Puffball?
3-10 cm
Is Common Puffball edible?
edible
How big is Common Puffball?
2-8 cm
Where is Common Puffball usually found?
In grassy areas and forests
What does Common Puffball grow on?
soil
When is Common Puffball in season?
Late Summer to Fall
What color are Common Puffball spores?
Olive-brown
Snap Map
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