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pear shaped puffball ID help


brendan

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Hi, 

I went on my first foraging attempt today in central Maryland. I think I found some pear-shaped puffballs. Not to worry, I don't intend on eating anything from this trip or likely the next several trips either, I just want to very humbly start getting a sense of the easier to ID edibles. The puffballs(?) were growing on the base of what I believe to have been a rotted out beech tree, though it was difficult to tell, it had lost most of its bark. They are light brown, smooth, about an inch diameter. Sliced open they are white, and I don't believe there is any sign of a destroying angel inside, from the pictures I've seen. They had stringy mycelia attaching them to the wood, and were growing in clumps. Most of them have a darker brown area at the very top, but there is no change in texture. One thing that gives me pause though, as you can see in the photo, there is a spot towards the base (and this is true for each mushroom that I sliced open) where the flesh is more transparent, less white. Is this a bad sign? Is it in fact the sign of a destroying angel and I am just misunderstanding? I thought they were supposed to be solid white throughout? Additionally- is it possible to take a spore print from a puffball? Thanks so much for any advice! 

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They're  pear-shaped puffballs. Some people eat them, not me. I can't stand the cotton like textrue and flavorless.  The darker brown area shows it begins to aging like human age 0ver 50 start have senile plaques on skin haha!

    Destroying angel has white gilled cap and long stem with white skirt and a big cowboy boot. Destroying angel is very white, pure, and vivid when you see, you'll know what I'm saying. Every time when I saw destroying angel I say: Bright morning star Lucifer you be BAD! 

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Good idea to section what is perceived as a puffball lengthwise and note interior structure. If it's a button of some type of gilled mushroom --Amanita, Catathelasma-- then the outline of a mushroom shape will be seen. 

Puffballs are a good starting point for learning to ID edible wild fungi. Aside for the Amanita-button consideration and the need for the gleba to be pure white, the only other concern is to learn to avoid species of Scleroderma, which are toxic. These types have a very firm interiors that usually show at least some gray/black, possibly only near the center in young specimens. However, I have seen very young Scleroderma with interior completely white. The different texture inside the tapered base is a "sterile base". This part of the puffball does not produce spores, whereas the "gleba" (rest of the interior) will darken into the powdery spore mass that "puffs" out spores through a hole that develops at the apex. 

The ones seen in this discussion are indeed Lycoperdon pyriforme (Pear-Shaped Puffball). This species is characterized by its growth directly on wood, small fruit bodies with relatively smooth brown/tan skin, and tendency to occur in groups. 

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Lily and Dave, thank you so much! I cannot tell you how thrilling it is to get such thorough, rapid responses. Especially your help explaining the sterile base, and I had not heard about the Scleroderma, one more example of how complex this hobby is. I can't wait to get out there again and find some more!

 

 

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