Species Hierarchy
Kingdom FUNGUS (FUNGI)
Phylum FUNGI - MOST LARGE FUNGI (BASIDIOMYCOTINA)
Class PUFFBALLS & EARTHSTARS (GASTROMYCETES)
Order PUFFBALLS & EARTH STARS (LYCOPERDALES)
Family PUFF BALLS (LYCOPERDACEAE)
Common name: PUFFBALL - GIANT WHITE
Scentific name: CALVATIA GIGANTEA

CLOSEST VIEW
Location: MCHENRY CO, ILLINOIS, USA

Species Info:

This lifeform is found east of the Continental Divide in North America.

Puffballs and earthstars (Lycoperdales) generally discharge their spores through a hole at the top of the round fruiting body.

Stomach Fungi (Gasteromycetes) develop pores inside a closed fruit body (hence the name). These Fungi are usually broken into four main groups: Stinkhorns, Puffballs, Earth Balls, and Birds Nest Fungi.

Basidiomycotina is a phylum that contains most of the large fungi such as mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, stinkhorns, coral fungi, etc. Many species in this group are deadly poisonous. Wild collected mushrooms should not be eaten as the chance of a mis-identification is very high. Most of the photographs in this group have been taken in the field by amateur photographers. There are certainly errors of identification in this group of images. This product should not be used to make decisions on edibility.

Most fungi are parasites on plants. Identification of many fungi is very difficult because their form and color is dependent on local conditions. One should not eat wild collected mushrooms as many edible species have poisonous look-alikes. Although we believe many of the species we show in this group are correctly identified,  we are also aware of instances where we doubt the identification.   We include these species to show the diversity of life,  as opposed to a method of precise species identification.

 

Search Region:
World
Species Range:
Click to enlarge
Photos
(Click on an image below to display at left)

CLOSEST VIEW

HABITAT

HABITAT

WITH HAND COMPARISON

WITH HAND COMPARISON

CLOSE VIEW IN HABITAT



Quick Jump:
Click to jump to
MUSHROOM - FAIRY CLUB
RAMARIA FORMOSA
Backward 10 species
Click to jump to
STINKHORN
PHALLUS IMPUDICUS
Backward 1 species
Click to jump to
PUFFBALL - LARGE
CALVATIA SPECIES
Forward 1 species
Click to jump to
EARTHBALL
SCLERODERMA SPECIES #2
Forward 10 species