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Puffball

February 06, 2023

For other uses, see Puffball (disambiguation).

Puffballs are a type of fungus featuring a ball-shaped fruit body that bursts on impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores when mature. Puffballs belong to the division Basidiomycota and encompass several genera, including Calvatia, Calbovista and Lycoperdon.[1] The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae, but they are now known to be a polyphyletic assemblage.

Lycoperdon perlatum
Calbovista subsculpta
Calvatia cyathiformis
Puffballs are found in several genera of the division Basidiomycota.

The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is that they do not have an open cap with spore-bearing gills. Instead, spores are produced internally, in a spheroidal fruit body called a gasterothecium (gasteroid 'stomach-like' basidiocarp). As the spores mature, they form a mass called a gleba 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. 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 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 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.[2] The Hymenogastrales and Enteridium lycoperdon, a slime mold, 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, which has a young purple gleba, should also be avoided.[2]

Puffballs were traditionally used in Tibet for making ink by burning them, grinding the ash, then putting them in water and adding glue liquid and "a nye shing ma decoction", which, when pressed for a long time, made a black dark substance that was used as ink.[3] Rural Americans likewise burned the common puffball with some kind of bee smoker to anesthetize honey bees 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.[4]

Edibility and identification

 
Spores coming out of puffball fungus

While most puffballs are not poisonous, some often look similar to young agarics, and especially the deadly Amanitas, such as the death cap 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. These can be very toxic.

 
Puffball mushrooms on sale at a market in England

The giant puffball, Calvatia gigantea (earlier classified as Lycoperdon giganteum), reaches a foot (30 cm) or more in diameter, and is difficult to mistake for any other fungus. It has been estimated that a large specimen of this fungus when mature will produce around 7 × 10¹² spores.

Not all true puffball mushrooms are without stalks.[inconsistent] Some may also be stalked like the Podaxis pistillaris which is also called the "false shaggy mane". There are also a number of false puffballs that look similar to the true ones.[2]

Common puffball, releasing spores in a burst by compressing the body

Stalked puffballs

Stalked puffballs species:[2]

True puffballs

True puffballs genera and species:[2]

False puffballs

False puffballs species:[2]

Classification

 
Lycoperdon pyriforme
 
Lycoperdon echinatum

Major orders:

Similarly, the true truffles (Tuberales) are gasteroid Ascomycota. Their ascocarps are called tuberothecia.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Freedman, Louise; Mycological Society of San Francisco (2000) [1987]. "Wild About Mushrooms:Puffballs". from the original on 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Miller, Orson K. (1977). Mushrooms of North America. New York, NY: E.P. Dutton Publisher. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-525-47482-1.
  3. ^ Cuppers, Christoph (1989). "On the Manufacture of Ink." Ancient Nepal - Journal of the Department of Archaeology, Number 113, August–September 1989, p. 5.
  4. ^ Hopper, Christopher P.; Zambrana, Paige N.; Goebel, Ulrich; Wollborn, Jakob (2021-06-01). "A brief history of carbon monoxide and its therapeutic origins". Nitric Oxide. 111–112: 45–63. doi:10.1016/j.niox.2021.04.001. ISSN 1089-8603. PMID 33838343. S2CID 233205099.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kuo, M. (February 2006). "Puffballs". MushroomExpert.Com. from the original on 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  6. ^ Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 366–367. ISBN 978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC 797915861.
  7. ^ Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 335. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.
  8. ^ Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 333. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.

References

  • Homobasidiomycetes at the Tree of Life Web Project

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Puffballs.

February 06, 2023
puffball, other, uses, disambiguation, type, fungus, featuring, ball, shaped, fruit, body, that, bursts, impact, releasing, cloud, dust, like, spores, when, mature, belong, division, basidiomycota, encompass, several, genera, including, calvatia, calbovista, l. For other uses see Puffball disambiguation Puffballs are a type of fungus featuring a ball shaped fruit body that bursts on impact releasing a cloud of dust like spores when mature Puffballs belong to the division Basidiomycota and encompass several genera including Calvatia Calbovista and Lycoperdon 1 The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae but they are now known to be a polyphyletic assemblage Lycoperdon perlatumCalbovista subsculptaCalvatia cyathiformisPuffballs are found in several genera of the division Basidiomycota The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is that they do not have an open cap with spore bearing gills Instead spores are produced internally in a spheroidal fruit body called a gasterothecium gasteroid stomach like basidiocarp As the spores mature they form a mass called a gleba 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 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 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 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 2 The Hymenogastrales and Enteridium lycoperdon a slime mold 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 which has a young purple gleba should also be avoided 2 Puffballs were traditionally used in Tibet for making ink by burning them grinding the ash then putting them in water and adding glue liquid and a nye shing ma decoction which when pressed for a long time made a black dark substance that was used as ink 3 Rural Americans likewise burned the common puffball with some kind of bee smoker to anesthetize honey bees 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 4 Contents 1 Edibility and identification 1 1 Stalked puffballs 1 2 True puffballs 1 3 False puffballs 2 Classification 3 Footnotes 4 References 5 External linksEdibility and identification Edit Spores coming out of puffball fungus While most puffballs are not poisonous some often look similar to young agarics and especially the deadly Amanitas such as the death cap 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 These can be very toxic Puffball mushrooms on sale at a market in England The giant puffball Calvatia gigantea earlier classified as Lycoperdon giganteum reaches a foot 30 cm or more in diameter and is difficult to mistake for any other fungus It has been estimated that a large specimen of this fungus when mature will produce around 7 10 spores Not all true puffball mushrooms are without stalks inconsistent Some may also be stalked like the Podaxis pistillaris which is also called the false shaggy mane There are also a number of false puffballs that look similar to the true ones 2 source source source source source source source source source source source source Common puffball releasing spores in a burst by compressing the body Stalked puffballs Edit Stalked puffballs species 2 Battarrea phalloides Calostoma cinnabarina Stalked Puffball in Aspic 5 Pisolithus tinctorius Tulostoma genus True puffballs Edit True puffballs genera and species 2 Bovista various species including Bovista aestivalis Bovista dermoxantha Bovista nigrescens Bovista plumbea Calvatia various species including Calvatia bovista Calvatia craniiformis Calvatia cyathiformis 2 5 Calvatia gigantea 2 5 Calvatia booniana Calvatia fumosa Calvatia lepidophora Calvatia pachyderma Calvatia sculpta Calvatia subcretacea edible 6 Calbovista subsculpta Handkea various species including Handkea utriformis Lycoperdon various species including Lycoperdon candidum Lycoperdon echinatum Lycoperdon fusillum Lycoperdon umbrinum Scleroderma various species including Scleroderma auratium Scleroderma geaster not edible 7 False puffballs Edit False puffballs species 2 Endoptychum agaricoides Nivatogastrium nubigenum Podaxis pistillaris Rhizopogon rubescens Truncocolumella citrinaClassification Edit Lycoperdon pyriforme Lycoperdon echinatum Major orders Agaricales including now obsolete orders Lycoperdales Tulostomatales and Nidulariales Basidiomycetes Agaricales Lycoperdaceae Calvatia Calvatia booniana 2 Calvatia bovista Handkea utriformis Calvatia craniiformis 5 Calvatia cyathiformis 2 5 Calvatia fumosa Handkea fumosa 2 Calvatia gigantea 2 5 Calvatia lepidophora 2 Calvatia rubroflava 5 Calvatia sculpta 2 Calvatia subcretacea Handkea subcretacea 2 Basidiomycetes Agaricales Lycoperdaceae Lycoperdon Lycoperdon foetidum Lycoperdon nigrescens Lycoperdon perlatum 5 Lycoperdon pulcherrimum 5 Lycoperdon pusillum Lycoperdon pyriforme Basidiomycetes Agaricales Lycoperdaceae Vascellum Vascellum curtisii 5 Vascellum pratense edible when interior is white 8 Geastrales and Phallales related to Cantharellales Basidiomycetes Phallales Geastraceae Geastrum Geastrum coronatum Geastrum fornicatum Geastrum saccatum 5 Sclerodermatales related to Boletales Basidiomycetes Boletales Sclerodermataceae Scleroderma Scleroderma areolatum 5 Scleroderma bovista 5 Scleroderma cepa Scleroderma citrinum 5 Scleroderma meridionale 5 Scleroderma michiganense 5 Scleroderma polyrhizum 5 Scleroderma septentrionale 5 and various false truffles hypogaeic gasteromycetes related to different hymenomycete orders Similarly the true truffles Tuberales are gasteroid Ascomycota Their ascocarps are called tuberothecia Footnotes Edit Freedman Louise Mycological Society of San Francisco 2000 1987 Wild About Mushrooms Puffballs Archived from the original on 2008 09 28 Retrieved 2008 08 03 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Miller Orson K 1977 Mushrooms of North America New York NY E P Dutton Publisher p 298 ISBN 978 0 525 47482 1 Cuppers Christoph 1989 On the Manufacture of Ink Ancient Nepal Journal of the Department of Archaeology Number 113 August September 1989 p 5 Hopper Christopher P Zambrana Paige N Goebel Ulrich Wollborn Jakob 2021 06 01 A brief history of carbon monoxide and its therapeutic origins Nitric Oxide 111 112 45 63 doi 10 1016 j niox 2021 04 001 ISSN 1089 8603 PMID 33838343 S2CID 233205099 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kuo M February 2006 Puffballs MushroomExpert Com Archived from the original on 2008 09 21 Retrieved 2008 08 03 Davis R Michael Sommer Robert Menge John A 2012 Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America Berkeley University of California Press pp 366 367 ISBN 978 0 520 95360 4 OCLC 797915861 Phillips Roger 2010 Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America Buffalo NY Firefly Books p 335 ISBN 978 1 55407 651 2 Phillips Roger 2010 Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America Buffalo NY Firefly Books p 333 ISBN 978 1 55407 651 2 References EditHomobasidiomycetes at the Tree of Life Web ProjectExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Puffballs Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Puffball amp oldid 1126240785, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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