Spotted puffball (Scleroderma areolatum)

Systematics:
  • Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
  • Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
  • Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
  • Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
  • Order: Boletales (Boletales)
  • Family: Sclerodermataceae
  • Genus: Scleroderma (False raincoat)
  • Type: Scleroderma areolatum (Spotted puffball)
  • Scleroderma lycoperdoides

Spotted puffball (Scleroderma areolatum) photo and description

Puffball spotted (lat. Scleroderma areolatum) is an inedible fungus-gasteromycete of the genus False raindrops. It is a special mushroom that has a pear-shaped body without a pronounced stem and cap, it has a rounded shape and seems to lie on the ground.

The color may vary from whitish to quite dark with a purple tint, or it may turn into an olive tint. Slightly powdery to the touch.

Such mushrooms can be found in almost any forest, the most important thing is that there is enough moist soil, as well as a sufficient amount of light.

This mushroom is inedible and you need to be careful not to confuse it with a real puffball. They differ in different shades, as well as in the fact that false raincoats often have spikes, and there is no ornament. If consumed in large quantities, it can cause gastrointestinal upset. Puffball spotted has many features that help not to confuse it with others. However, the most reliable distinguishing feature is the size and shape of the spores of the fungus – the presence of frequent spines and the absence of a mesh ornament.

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