All’s sphere in fungal spores
The golf ball in this photograph is dwarfed by the large white puffballs. These are known as giant puffball mushrooms.
The term mushroom in biology refers to the above ground part of a fungus that produces spores.
These puffballs were two of several that were growing in a farm paddock.
The large specimen had a diameter of 30cm but this is small when compared with others that have been found world wide.
These can be around 90cm in diameter and weigh at least 20kg.
Giant puffballs, like most other fungi, are known as saprotrophs.
This means that they feed on dead organic matter such as decaying vegetation.
The feeding takes place underground and can carry on unnoticed for many months.
Then, quite quickly, the fruiting body we call the puffball will appear above ground and grow rapidly.
This large puffball could have formed in about a week.
Young puffballs have a white fleshy interior and, as the puffball matures, this becomes brown as fungal spores develop.
It’s these spores that become wind blown and spread the puffball species.
It has been estimated that a large giant puffball could release as many as a trillion spore.
The spore are microscopic and light and have been collected from aircraft flying at over 10,000 metres.
Care should be exercised when dealing with mature puffballs, as the clouds of spore can cause blindness.
A final word: a puffball that is young and with flesh that is completely white makes for good eating.
Recipes used for the gill fungi we purchase work just fine with puffballs. Notice the split puffball.
Why this has happened is unknown but one person thought it looked like a big slice of pavlova.