Saturday, 04 February 2012

Black Bovist

Facts
Common Name: 
Black Bovist
Scientific Name: 
Bovista nigrescens
Information
Description: 

An uncommon puffball growing in pastures and meadows during Summer and Autumn but persisting in an old, dried out state for many months.

Distribution: 

Uncommon

Habitat: 

In fields, pastures and meadows from Summer till Autumn, but the old fruitbody remains in a dried out state form months.

Cap: 

Fruit body 3–6cm across, subglobose, slightly pointed below, attached to the substrate by a single mycelial cord which often breaks leaving the fruit body free to roll about, outer wall white at first, flaking off at maturity to expose the dark purple-brown to blackish inner wall that encloses the spore mass and opening by a large irregular pore or extensive splitting and cracking.

Flesh: 

Brittle or granular.

Gills: 

Gleba dark purple-brown.

Stem: 

Attached to the substrate by a single mycelial strand, which often breaks.