Simple spore sac, with an apical hole [puffballs] species

Moderators

The following moderators provide knowledge and expertise for Simple spore sac, with an apical hole [puffballs]:

Heino1  |  Csteele4  |  KenT  |  Pam  |  CanberraFungiGroup

Become a moderator

Overview

 

At maturity, a fruitbody of a fungus in this sub-group is essentially a spore sac, either roughly spherical or with an extended base (or pseudo-stem) and then somewhat pear-shaped. The spore sac holds the powdery spores within a bundle of entangled filaments (much like a wad of cotton-wool). The wall of the spore sac is thin and flexible with an apical hole through which the spores can puff out when the sac is compressed (e.g. by a raindrop, a falling twig, a finger) – hence the common name puffball. When the pressure eases, the compressed ‘cotton-wool’ expands, restoring the sac to its pre-puff shape and so allowing future puffs. Without the ‘cotton wool’, the spore sac would stay compressed and puff no more. When present, a pseudo-stem may be quite short or constitute more than half the height of the fruitbody. A pseudo-stem feels and (if cut open) looks much like foam plastic and is free of spores. It simply serves to raise the rounder, spore-filled upper part. In some species a membrane (or diaphragm) separates the spore-filled upper from the sterile base. 

 

The outer surface of the immature fruitbody may be fairly smooth or with a rough coating (e.g. of granules or pyramidal warts). With age the rough coating erodes away, though often you will find remnants on the underside of a fruitbody since this is less exposed to erosion.

 

At maturity the fruitbody may be loose or remain attached to the substrate by a root-like bundle of fungal filaments.

 

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

A pear-shaped fruitbody: Lycoperdon.

Lower half with a collar (or casing) that consists of soil grains glued together: Disciseda.

 

Warning

If the spore sac sits atop a stem check the fungi in Other puffballs & the like. In one genus the stem may be buried.

 

No species currently belong to this list.

Conservation level

Invasiveness

Machine learning

Machine learning is not enabled.

Follow Simple spore sac, with an apical hole [puffballs]

Receive alerts of new sightings

Subscribe

Share field guide

Share link to Simple spore sac, with an apical hole [puffballs] field guide

2,148,794 sightings of 19,882 species in 6,407 locations from 11,276 contributors
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.