Arkansas Posted November 15, 2022 Report Share Posted November 15, 2022 Well.. let's try this again.. Hoping this one is edible 🤣.  I found this thick white mushroom in the dirt amidst dead leaves and branches. Thick white stalk, almost the same size as the cap, if it's even considered a cap. Smells like mushrooms from the store. I tore off some of it to see inside, no color change after. Any ideas what it is?  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 15, 2022 Report Share Posted November 15, 2022 Maybe either a mushroom that's been colonized by a parasitic Hypomyces? Or maybe an anomaly? This does not look like Hypomyces to me, so I think it may be abnormally formed mushrooms, possibly some common species. I'm adding three photos; one of some "aborted" Clitocybe robusta and two others showing normally formed mushrooms of the same species. These were all found growing in the same location at the same time, back in 2008. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Posted November 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2022 This is tough because there's no gills.. and there were no other mushrooms around it. I'm fact, about 300 feet away, a similar mushroom was found. The stem and stalk were similar - in that it appeared they just blended together I didn't thoroughly look at it though.  So if a parasitic mushroom didn't colonize another mushroom - you think it may be some anomaly - a mutation of some kind?  Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svs Posted November 16, 2022 Report Share Posted November 16, 2022 Unusual shaped puffball? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 16, 2022 Report Share Posted November 16, 2022 Not a mutation, but maybe just an abnormality. Actually, I like the suggestion from svs; maybe a puffball. Some Lycoperdon species produce puffballs with a sizeable sterile base. Seeing one of these vertically sectioned --so that the entire interior is seen-- may be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Posted November 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 Yet another one. Now I've seen about 4 of them. Puffball ? Please say yes I want to eat this thing 😂😂 I just realized, it has that little... Skin around it.. And the stem seems to have pores looking at the cross section. Maybe not a puffball ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svs Posted November 24, 2022 Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 Looks like puffball to me. I do not see anything else. Stem and top are made from different tissues. Top - spore producing material and bottom is for support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 25, 2022 Report Share Posted November 25, 2022 It's a puffball, likely a species of genus Lycoperdon, genus Calvatia, or genus Bovista. The shape reminds me of Lycoperdon or Calvatia; the smooth outer skin points toward Bovista. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/bovista_longispora.html      http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lycoperdon_caudatum.html         http://www.mushroomexpert.com/calvatia_cyathiformis.html The flesh in the basal portion is probably less dense and I'm guessing this is what looks like pores to you. This is also a trait of Lycoperdon or Calvatia. If you allow one of these to mature in-situ --and if the weather cooperates-- eventually the inside will turn to spore dust; yellow, brown, olive-brown, or in the case of Calvatia cyathiformis grayish-purple. A hole or holes will develop along the apex and the mature spores are ejected when any pressure --eg. falling raindrops-- is applied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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