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The Cryptogams Gallery
Puffball Mushrooms
Mushrooms and molds are fungus. A fungus is not a true plant. It does not photosynthesize light into a food source. The structures we see and call mushrooms are the reproductive parts of a fungus that lives underground or under bark.
Basidiomycetes > Boletales > Sclerodermataceae
likely Common Earthball (one of the Puffballs) Scleroderma citrinum
Brown mushroom is about 1" wide with no stem. Can grow to 6" wide. The surface is leathery with dark scaly patches. It holds itself to the ground with root-like structures. When cut, outer wall is white and becomes thicker with age. Center is a mass of spores is black with white veins. At maturity the spores become powdery and the outer surface ruptures to expel the spores. Grown in sand on cow path. This species is sometimes parasitized by Boletus parisiticus a mushroom with a stem. Not edible.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, November 2004
(Native of Texas, North America, and Europe)
Thanks to Daniel Z. Seyler for identifing this plant.
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? family
? Common Name **zm 5** Scientific Name
Brown puffball has thin paper like surface, about 1 1/4" wide with no stem. When compressed yellow spores poof out of opening on top.
Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006
(Native ?)
? family
? Common Name **zm 6** Scientific Name
White scaly puffball mushroom is about 1 1/2" tall and 3/4" wide with no stem.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2005
(Native ?)
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