Home
Puffballs & Relatives
Page Last Updated: October 1 2020
12 species
Earthball - 2.5 to 10 cm
Order: Boletales (also Sclerodermatales? - false puffballs)
Family: Sclerodermataceae
Genus: Scleroderma
Species: Citrinum (also Aurantium)
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
Class: Agaricomycetes
Also known as Pigskin Poison Puffball - found on ground or
wood debris in woods
Giant Puffball - approx. 30 cm
Order: Agaricales (formerly Lycoperdales?)
Family: Agaricaceae (formerly Lycoperdaceae?)
Genus: Calvatia (formerly Langermannia and Lycoperdon)
Species: Gigantea
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Pear-shapeded Puffballs - approx. 3 cm high
Genus: Lycoperdon (also Morganella)
Species: Pyriforme
Kingdom: Fungi
Order: Agaricales (formerly Lycoperdales?)
Family: Agaricaceae (formerly Lycoperdaceae?)
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
More Earthball
More Earthball
Updated October 1 2010
Gem-studded Puffballs - approx. 4 cm high
Genus: Lycoperdon
Species: Perlatum
Kingdom: Fungi
Order: Agaricales (formerly Lycoperdales?)
Family: Agaricaceae (formerly Lycoperdaceae?)
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
More Gem-studded Puffball
More Gem-studded Puffball
Updated January 14 2012
Grey? Bird's Nest Fungus - height approx. 1.5 cm
Order: Nidulariales
Family: Nidulariaceae (Bird's nest fungi)
Genus: Cyathus
Species: Olla?
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes? (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
The "eggs" (peridioles - to 3.5 mm) contain the spores
which are dispersed during a rain - fruits on organic debris
or wood chips
Nested? Earthstar - approx. 3 cm
Genus: Geastrum
Species: Saccatum?
Kingdom: Fungi
Order: Geastrales (formerly Phallales?)
Family: Geastraceae
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus - height to 1.5 cm
Order: Nidulariales
Family: Nidulariaceae (Bird's nest fungi)
Genus: Cyathus
Species: Stercoreus
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes? (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
The "eggs" (peridioles) contain the spores which are
dispersed during a rain - White Bird's Nest Fungus
(Crucibulum laeve - see below) has white peridioles - fruits
on wood chips and dung
More Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus
More Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus
Updated October 11 2014
Stinkhorn Fungus - approx. 7 cm
Order: Phallales
Family: Phallaceae (Stinkhorn fungi)
Genus: Mutinus
Species: ?
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
M. caninus (Dog Stinkhorn) and M. ravenelii (Ravenel's
Stinkhorn) are similar and possibly the same species -
possibly Devil's Stinkhorn (Phallus rubicundus) - carrion or
dung smell attracts insects to aid in spore dispersal - found
in grass at the edge of a wood chip trail frequented by
horses
More Stinkhorn Fungus
More Stinkhorn Fungus
Updated October 1 2013
More Pear-shaped Puffballs
More Pear-shaped Puffballs
Updated March 25 2019
Pear-shaped or spherical - also known as Wolf-fart or
Stump Puffball - binomial name also Morganella pyriformis
- inside flesh is white when young turning yellow / grreen to
brown - fruits in clusters on decaying logs and stumps
Inside flesh is white when young turning yellow / green to
brown - fruits in rich soils in open woods, fields and
gardens sometimes forming a fairy ring
Found on ground under trees (conifers?)
Fruits in clusters on the ground in humus or on woody
debris
More Giant Puffballs
More Giant Puffballs
Updated September 27 2014
Bird's Nest Fungus - height approx. 1 cm
Order: Nidulariales
Family: Nidulariaceae (Bird's nest fungi)
Genus: Cyathus
Species: Stercoreus? (Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus -
see above)
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes? (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
The "eggs" (peridioles) contain the spores which are
dispersed during a rain - White Bird's Nest Fungus
(Crucibulum laeve) has white peridioles
More Bird's Nest Fungus
More Bird's Nest Fungus
Updated October 31 2012
White? Bird's Nest Fungus - height to 1 cm
Order: Nidulariales
Family: Nidulariaceae (Bird's nest fungi)
Genus: Crucibulum
Species: Laeve
White? Bird's Nest  Fungus - width to 1 cm - height to 1 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - November 2014
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes? (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
The white "eggs" (peridioles - approx. 1.5 mm) contain the
spores which are dispersed during a rain - fruits on dead
twigs, rotting wood, leaf mould
More White Bird's Nest Fungus
More White Bird's Nest Fungus
Updated November 10 2014
Bird's Nest  Fungus - width approx. 6 mm - height approx. 1 cm - East Don Valley (Milne Hollow) - October 2012
Grey? Bird's Nest Fungus - width approx. 1 cm - height approx. 1.5 cm - West Don Valley (Wilket Creek Park) - September 2010
Gem-studded Puffball - to 6 cm tall, 5 cm wide - West Don Valley (Wilket Creek Park) - October 2010
Stinkhorn Fungus - approx. 7 cm - West Don Valley (Sunnybrook Park) - September 2013
Nested? Earthstar - diamter to 5 cm - High Park - September 2012
Pear-shaped Puffballs - height to 5 cm - width to 3 cm wide - Kortright Centre for Conservation - September 2010
Giant Puffball - to 50 cm plus - Humber Valley (Claireville Conservation Area) - July 2010
Earthball - 2.5 to 10 cm - Lower Don Valley (Crother's Woods) - August 2010
Dung-loving Bird's Nest  Fungus on wood chips - width to 8 mm - height to 1.5 cm - West Don Valley (Edwards Gardens) - October 2014
Stalked Puffballs - height approx. 2 cm
Genus: Tulostoma
Species: Fimbriatum / Campestre? Brumale?
Kingdom: Fungi
Order: Agaricales (formerly Lycoperdales?)
Family: Agaricaceae (formerly Lycoperdaceae?)
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
Fruits in sandy soil
Stalked Puffballs - height approx. 2 cm - Leslie Spit - May 2014
Puffballs (Morganella) - width approx. 3.5 cm
Genus: Morganella (also Lycoperdon)
Species: Subincarnata?
Kingdom: Fungi
Order: Agaricales (formerly Lycoperdales?)
Family: Agaricaceae (formerly Lycoperdaceae?)
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
More Puffballs (Morganella)
More Puffballs (Morganella)
Updated October 14 2015
Lacks the sterile base of Pear-shaped Puffball (see above)
- fruits scattered or in clusters on decaying logs and stumps
Puffballs (Morganella) - width to 3.5 cm - Rouge Park - October 2015
Elegant Stinkhorn - approx. 10 cm
Order: Phallales
Family: Phallaceae (Stinkhorn fungi)
Genus: Mutinus
Species: Elegans
Kingdom: Fungi
Class: Agaricomycetes (formerly Gasteromycetes?)
Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
Also known as Devil's Dipstick - carrion or dung smell
attracts insects to aid in spore dispersal - photograph by
JT
Elegant Stinkhorn - approx. 10 cm - Baby Point (Lambton) - September 2020