Lab 5: Purple-Spored Puffball - Connor Gunn

Purple-Spored Puffball, formally known as Calvatia Cyathiformis, is a large edible species of Calvatia, a genus of puffball mushrooms. Located across the entire country this common fungus is often found in grassy areas either growing alone or in fairy rings. Fairy rings arise when outward-growing mycelium depletes the soil of its nutrients creating a ring of mushrooms and Purple-Spored Puffball can form fairy rings that can survive for more than 400 years(Millman, 2019). At maturity, the puffball can be 8–17 cm high and 8–20 cm wide or roughly between the size of a softball and a soccer ball(Kuo, 2016). In Malaysia, the puffball is eaten when it is young and the flesh is firm but considered inedible when the fungi gives when pressed or if the dark-purple colored spores are visible(Abdullah, 2009).

Posted on October 19, 2021 01:20 PM by connorgunn