Common Puffball
Lycoperdon perlatum
Identification of Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)
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All Images (3)
Key Features
- Pear-shaped fruiting body with distinct sterile base
- Surface covered in prominent
- conical
- detachable white spines
- Spines leave a net-like pattern when rubbed off
- White when young
- maturing to light brown/tan
- Grows terrestrially among leaf litter and debris
Color:
White to light tan/brown
Smell:
No distinctive smell
Growth Pattern:
Clustered
Environment:
Leaf litter
Habitat & Distribution
Habitat:
Mixed or deciduous forest floor
Distribution:
Cosmopolitan (Widespread globally)
Seasonality:
Summer through Autumn
Critical Features for Confirmation
- Internal context (gleba) is not visible, preventing confirmation that it is not a deadly Amanita button
Economic Value
Market Demand:
Low - occasionally collected by foragers
Price Range:
N/A
Commercial Use:
None
Similar Species
Earthball
Scleroderma citrinum
Key Differences:
- Thick, tough outer skin (peridium)
- Interior context is dark purple or black, never white, even when young
- Surface is smoother or cracked, lacking prominent detachable spines
Destroying Angel (Button Stage)
Amanita virosa
Key Differences:
- Slicing reveals internal structure (gills and cap outline)
- Often has a volva (sac) at the base, sometimes buried
Recommended Action
Do not consume. To confirm safety and rule out deadly lookalikes, the specimen must be sliced vertically. If the interior is anything other than solid, pure white, discard immediately.