Earth Balls, Puffballs and Earth Stars
These consist of a mass of spores called a gleba, surrounded by a firm skin called a peridium.
Earth balls initially have a firm white gleba that quickly turns purplish black. The single layered peridium splits randomly to release powdery spores.
Puffballs initially have a soft white gleba that becomes yellow and squishy then loose and powdery spores are released from a hole at the top . The peridium has two layers with the outer one often being ornamented, or in earth stars, peels back from the inner layer.
Stalked puffballs have a stalk that lifts the puffball from hot soil in dry areas.
Rapidly expanding puffballs may split at the early white gleba stage.
Earth balls initially have a firm white gleba that quickly turns purplish black. The single layered peridium splits randomly to release powdery spores.
Puffballs initially have a soft white gleba that becomes yellow and squishy then loose and powdery spores are released from a hole at the top . The peridium has two layers with the outer one often being ornamented, or in earth stars, peels back from the inner layer.
Stalked puffballs have a stalk that lifts the puffball from hot soil in dry areas.
Rapidly expanding puffballs may split at the early white gleba stage.
Puffball Calvatia sp.
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Puffball Calvatia sp.
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Puffball
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Puffball
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Puffball
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Puffball Calvatia sp.
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Puffball
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Earth star
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Stalked puffball
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Dog poo fungus earth ball Pitholithus sp. PF-L3
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Earth ball
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Earth ball
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