Common Puffball

(Lycoperdon perlatum)

Conservation Status
Common Puffball
Photo by Luciearl
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

not listed

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Common Puffball is a very common, very widespread, easily recognized mushroom. It has a worldwide distribution, found on every continent including Antarctica. It may be the most abundant woodland puffball in North America, though in Minnesota Pear-shaped Puffball is more common. It grows on the ground in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woodlands under trees, on roadsides, in open areas, and even in urban areas. It is usually found in clusters, though it is sometimes alone, scattered, or close together but not clustered. It obtains its nutrients from decaying organic matter (saprobic).

The fruiting body is 1¼ to 3¾ tall or taller and 1 to 2¾ wide or wider. It is shaped like an upside-down pear, with a broad, round or flattened top and a narrowed stem-like base. It is white and is densely covered with small, white, cone-shaped spines and more numerous tiny, white spines and granules between them. The spines are easily rubbed off and as the puffball matures they turn brown and fall off. The large spines leave conspicuous pockmarks. As the puffball ages, the outer scarred layer turns yellowish-brown and sloughs away, exposing a smooth, dark brown inner layer. A raised pore forms on the top of the maturing puffball. When ripe the pore ruptures, exposing the spore mass. Pores are disbursed through the opening by wind, rain drops, falling twigs, and curious hikers.

The base is sterile, thick, chambered, and often wrinkled. It is white and spongy when young, turning yellow then olive then brown as it ages.

The flesh (spore mass) is white and firm when young, becoming soft and first yellow then olive-brown. When ripe, the spore mass is dry, powdery, and brown. It is edible when firm and white but is bland and may be bitter.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat and Hosts
 
 

Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woodlands, fields and other grassy areas, roadsides, and urban areas

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Season

 
 

July to November

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

 
  9/12/2021      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very widespread and very common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Fungi (fungi)  
  Subkingdom Dikarya  
  Phylum Basidiomycota (club fungi)  
  Subphylum Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)  
  Class Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies)  
  Subclass Agaricomycetidae  
  Order Agaricales (common gilled mushrooms and allies)  
  Suborder Suborder Agaricineae  
  Family Lycoperdaceae (puffballs)  
  Genus Lycoperdon  
       
 

Order
The family Lycoperdaceae was formerly placed in the order Lycoperdales. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies resulted in a resturcturing of fungal taxonomy. Genera formerly in the families Tulostomataceae, Battarreaceae, Lycoperdaceae, and Mycenastraceae have been moved to Agaricaceae. The move has been universally accepted.

Family
The genus Lycoperdon was formerly placed in the family Lycoperdaceae. Recent phylogenetic analysis showed that family to be a subgroup within the family Agaricaceae. The move has not been universally accepted. Index Fungorum, MycoBank, Catalog of Life, and NCBI all include Lycoperdon in the family Lycoperdaceae.

Genus
The genus name Lycoperdon is formed from the Latinized form of the Greek words lykos, meaning “wolf”, and perdesthai, meaning “to break wind”—wolf fart.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Lycoperdon bonordenii

Lycoperdon gemmatum

Lycoperdon perlatum var. bonordenii

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Common Puffball

Devil’s Snuffbox

Gem-studded Puffball

Wolf-fart Puffball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Tim O’Keefe

 
    Common Puffball   Common Puffball  
 

Luciearl

 
    Common Puffball   Common Puffball  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           
           

 

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slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Lycoperdon Perlatum AKA Gem Studded PuffBall Mushroom
Walt Reven Jr
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 18, 2018

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ANOTHER VIDEO I FORGOT TO MAKE PUBLIC! July 2017, spores arent the spiked parts like I said(my knowledge has increased since this video) they are actually inside this mushroom!

Found off the bike path in hardwood trees, there was a bunch of these neat things growing all over the place!

   
       

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Tim O’Keefe
9/10/2021

Location: Becker County

Common Puffball

 
  Luciearl
10/25/2018

Location: Cass County

Common Puffball

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

Binoculars


Created: 11/2/2018

Last Updated:

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