Giant puffball
A species of Calvatia Scientific name : Calvatia gigantea Genus : Calvatia
Giant puffball, A species of Calvatia
Scientific name: Calvatia gigantea
Genus: Calvatia
Photo By Brain Johnson 
Description
These distinctive round, white fungi appear around the world in fields and at the edges of wooded areas. Living up to its name, a single giant puffball can grow as large as a watermelon. They have no stems, and produce trillions of spores that release into the air through holes in “puffs.” They have been used as slow-burning tinder and produce copious smoke when set aflame. Giant puffballs are technically edible, but should only be consumed when the mushroom is young and firm.
Colors
Brown
Yellow
White
Habitat
You might see giant puffball mushrooms at the edges of meadows, in ditches, or under brush and trees at the edges of woodlands. They feed on detritus like decomposing plant matter and dung.
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People often ask
General Info
Toxicity
Giant puffball can cause mild poisoning in some people. The most common symptoms of poisoning follow ingestion of the mature mushroom, and are related to gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Also, the spores produced by the giant puffball can lead to lycoperdonosis, a respiratory disease caused by inhalation of these spores. The symptoms associated with the disease are nausea, increase heart rate, crepitant rales, and dyspnea (difficulty with breathing).
Edibility
Giant puffball is an edible mushroom, but only when it is young and has a solid white interior. If the mushroom begins to yellow or produce spores, then it is no longer safe to eat. To prepare giant puffball, make sure to peel the skin off and avoid water as this mushroom is quite absorbent. This mushroom has a similar texture to tofu and is often added to salads and pasta.
Habitat
You might see giant puffball mushrooms at the edges of meadows, in ditches, or under brush and trees at the edges of woodlands. They feed on detritus like decomposing plant matter and dung.
Growth Form
Solitary, gregarious
Sporocarp Height
30 inches
Cap Diameter
30 inches
Endangered Species
No
Habit
Saprophytic
Substrate
On soil
Smell
Not distinctive
Spore Print
Olive-brown
Species Status
Fairly widely distributed from the Great Plains eastward.
Distribution Area
Eastern North America,Europe,Central America,northern Asia,Australia,New Zealand
How to identify it?
Similar Species
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Club fungi Class
Mushroom-forming fungi Order
Gilled fungi Family
Agaricaceae Genus
Calvatia Species
Giant puffball 
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