Magnificent Mushrooms! #7

Hi everyone and welcome back to our series on magnificent mushrooms! I must admit to not being very regular with this series but maybe I can get on track with it now. Three weeks ago when my friend and I were out on our day trip visiting some lakes, I spotted a couple of mushrooms. One was a variety that I have found numerous times, the other was from the same family of mushrooms, but it was totally new to me and I think it is really cool.

Gem-Studded Puffball (mushroom)

First we have the Gem-Studded Puffball which is very common in our area. They are not very large, normally about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) across, but can get up to 3 inches (7.5cm) across. I have never seen one that large however. These are a good edible mushroom when young but should always be cut in half to make sure it is pure white inside.

If not pure white then it is too old and should not be eaten. If there is any kind of features inside then it could be a regular mushroom in the young button stage (when the mushroom first appears) and can be confused with the deadly Amanita mushrooms. This one in the photo is starting to lose it’s outer skin so would be too old for eating.

Peeling Puffball (mushroom)

The next mushroom is the Peeling Puffball. This one has spikes on it that resemble pyramids at the base. It is also edible when young, but again should be cut in half to make sure it is pure white inside. If it has started to change color then it should not be eaten. This mushroom can grow up to 2 inches (5cm) across.

The one in the photo is only 1 and 1/4 inches (about 3.1cm) across. It was nice to find a mushroom I have not seen before, even if it is similar to ones that I see commonly in our area. Well, I hope you enjoy seeing a couple more of our mushrooms. Have a wonderful day everyone and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2024 Steve McLeod.