AUS SA Support NatureMapr in your region (Are you from Local Government?)
Home Fungi Puffballs & the like [ sightings | field guide ]

Puffballs & the like

Overview

At maturity, the fruitbodies of the fungi in this group generally contain prodigious quantities of powdery spores. The fruitbodies may be spherical to pear-shaped or somewhat columnar in shape and range from less than a centimetre to over 30 centimetres in extent. Spores are mostly some shade of brown, from pale yellow-brown to dark brown, depending on species.

 

Almost all species produce their fruitbodies on the ground, a few produce them on on wood.

 

In the following hints you see examples of useful identification features and a few of the more commonly seen genera in which at least some species (not necessarily all) show those features.

 

Hints

Spore mass lilac: Calvatia.

Fruitbody over 30 centimetres in diameter: Calvatia.

 

Warning

If you have a flattish fruitbody, with purplish-black powdery spores inside a thin, brittle crust - check the slime mould Fuligo septica.

No species currently belong to this list.

Conservation Level

  • All conservation levels (change?)

Invasiveness

  • All invasiveness levels (change?)

Puffballs & the like

Moderators

Become the first moderator for Puffballs & the like!

Apply now

Machine learning

Machine learning is not enabled.

Follow Puffballs & the like

Receive alerts of new sightings

Subscribe

Share field guide

Share link to Puffballs & the like field guide

2,074,484 sightings of 18,557 species in 4,991 locations from 10,248 members
CCA 3.0 | privacy
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.