Lycoperdon pyriforme

Scientific name:  Lycoperdon pyriforme Schaeffer:Persoon
Derivation of name:  Pyri- means "pear" and form- means
"shape" or "appearance." Pyriforme refers to the pear shape
of this puffball.
Synonyms:  Morganella pyriformis
Common name(s):  Pear-shaped puffball.
Phylum:   Basidiomycota
Order:   Agaricales
Family:   Lycoperdaceae
Occurrence on wood substrate:  Saprobic; scattered or in
dense clusters on decaying wood; July through November.    
Dimensions: Fruit bodies are 1.5-4.5 cm wide and 2-5 cm
tall.      
Description:This puffball species is pear-shaped to nearly
globose and supported by a small sterile base attached to the
substrate by white mycelial strands (rhizomorphs). When
young this puffball is whitish and covered with tiny warts and
granules. With maturity the spore case (peridium) is yellow-
brown to reddish-brown and develops a pore-like mouth (the
ostiole) at the apex allowing spores to be "puffed out" when
the outer case is disturbed by raindrops or twigs striking it.
The spore producing internal tissue (gleba) is moist and white
at first, turning olive-brown and powdery when mature.
Edibility: Edible.
Comments: This species is edible only when the internal spore
tissue (gleba) is completely white and uniform in appearance.
Care must be taken not to confuse puffballs with young stages
of Amanita species which are enclosed by a universal veil.
A longitudinal section of a young Amanita will reveal some
tissue differentiation into gills. Gills never occur in puffballs.

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Figure 1.  Dense clusters of Lycoperdon pyriforme on a
rotting log. Photo © Fred Habegger.

Figure 2. A closer view of young specimens of
Lycoperdon pyriforme. Photo © William Roody.

Figure 3. Puffballs growing on a stump. Ostioles are
developing on many of these.


Figure 4.  Some of the puffballs on the stump shown in
Figure 3 were partially dislodged from the wood. A useful
field identification character for this species is the white
rhizomorphs extending from the puffball bases to the woody
substrate.


Figure 5. These mature speciemens have developed pores
for release of the spores. The small stick was used to gently
nudge the puffball near it. See Figure 6 for the result.

Figure 6. These are the puffballs of Figure 5 a moment after
the stick was used to compress the puffball near it. Can you
see the small cloud of spores released?

Figure 7. Can you see this spore cloud? Photo © Pam
Kaminski.