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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
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
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
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
Updated October 1 2013
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
Fruits in clusters on the ground in humus or on woody
debris
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
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
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
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)
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