Unknown Fungus in Missouri, USA (1 Viewer)

Larry Lade

Moderator

• Sep 20, 2007

• #1

OK all you mycologists out there. I have never seen a mushroom quite like this one!

I found this white thing out in our backyard a couple of days ago. I first I though it was a piece of styrofoam, which had been "nicked up" a bit. But this morning I found this other "white form" breaking through the ground (it had one "nick" in it). I am uncertain just what would be feeding on these fungi. I would suppose that possibly the numerour Fox Squirrels which we have in our yard might find them to their liking.

These two fungi are approximately one foot in diameter (the actual diameter of the one in photos 3 and 4 is not entirely above ground yet).

Attached are a few photos which I shot this morning.
Photo # 1 is of the "nicked up" fungus.
Photo # 4 and photo # 5 are of the fungus beginning to surface, and only has the one "nick" in it

 

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Larry Lade

Moderator

• Sep 20, 2007

• #2

I emailed these photos to our son in New York who has a little mycological background (he has gone out on field trips with a local mycological club). He emailed me back saying that he though these were Giant Puffballs. Well, I have seen puffballs, but never this large!

 

rozinante

Anarchism is order

• Sep 20, 2007

• #3

They look like the giant puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) that I used to find in East Sussex. "Edible and delicious when young" which would explain the "nicks".

"Most giant puffballs grow to be 10 to 70 cm in diameter, although occasionally some can reach diameters up to 150 cm and weights of 20 kg."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_puffball

 

Larry Lade

Moderator

• Sep 20, 2007

• #4

These two in our yard are approximately 30 cm in diameter.

We have never tried eating puffballs and I think I will wait another day before I try one. Perhaps they would be tasty. The only mycologicals we have eaten are the Common Morels which we sometimes find here in Missouri in the Spring of the year.

 

L

Leif

Well-known member

• Sep 20, 2007

• #5

It does look like Calvatia gigantea and 30cm is typical. I have never seen semi-buried specimens though. The ones I have seen have been on the surface, usually near scrub, though sometimes in the middle of fields. I once found a park - Stockley Business Park in Hayes - with hundreds of the things. Subsequent years were less fruitful.