Unknown puffball

BROCSMAN · #1 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 06:04 PM

Guidance please on this puffball. On grass/soil in mixed woodland, joined by a strand of mycelium, no stipe. Creamy white throughout, but scaly brown on the surface. It didn't seem to be darkening after I gathered it.

flaxton · #2 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 08:09 PM

Is the centre soft or quite firm?

Mal

BROCSMAN · #3 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 08:11 PM

Definitely soft.

BROCSMAN · #4 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 08:26 PM

This is what it looked like underneath

flaxton · #5 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 08:39 PM

The only one I can think of that has that cracking pattern on the top is Handkea utriformis.

Mal

BROCSMAN · #6 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 10:00 PM

I'm not familiar with that, but Bon describes it as massive and fleshy. I failed to give any indication of size, but this was only about 5cm in diameter. Also Handkea utriformis seems usually to have a pestle shape, which was absent.

Externally it looks a bit like a Rhizopogon (I only know this from pictures), but being so consistently white fleshed seems to rule this out. This is what it looked like

Ditiola · #7 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 11:50 PM

There is no sign of a sterile base, that you would expect in Lycoperdon or Calvatia (handkea) although it may be very imature! I agree that the outer surface looks most like C.utriformis. Perhaps go back and look for a more mature specimen is the best plan.

Peter