Let’s face it – anything that’s puffs is magic, be it dragons or mushrooms. And there were so many jewel-like puffballs studded throughout the forests this summer that the photos McDowell took are endless. You know she likes magic, and dragons, and studs are always fun on punks, collars, coats & mushrooms!

Still reminding McDowell of the punk years.

And I can honestly say Sharif does like them. (Because we now have a Sharif in the family!)

Still Rocking The Casbah. in the summer of 2019.

Eventually a hole will open at the top and the spores ail be released through there when pressure is applied from a touch or even falling raindrops.

The ones in these photos are too young to have the top opening yet.

We Are Fam-i-ly!

Oh puffballs, big or small you are enchanting!

And speaking of punk. Isn’t it cute how what we thought was far out punk in the 70s sounds so quaint now?

About Lycoperdon perlatum

Lycoperdon perlatum, popularly known as the common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball, or the devil’s snuff-box, is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. A widespread species with a cosmopolitan distribution, it is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk. It is off-white with a top covered in short spiny bumps or “jewels”, which are easily rubbed off to leave a netlike pattern on the surface. When mature it becomes brown, and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or falling raindrops.

More information: Lycoperdon perlatum: wikipedia

As we all know McDowell loves studs from her punk years. She may even still have a few hidden here and there so she feels a kinship with anything rockin’ studs. When the puffballs show themselves is always a happy time. McDowell found these gorgeous tiny beauties and with names like gem-studded puffball or the devil’s snuff-box what’s not to like!

The young gems are white with a jewel covering of shiny spikes.

Considered edible when young and the inside is still white. But McDowell hasn’t tried them yet so we’re not listing them in the edible category until she does. If you decide to eat them be sure that it’s a puffball and not an immature amanita species.

Take it from the top. McDowell could stare at these beauties all day from every angle.

As the puffball gets older it darkens.

Eventually a hole will open at the top and the spores ail be released through there when pressure is applied from a touch or even falling raindrops.

Oh puffballs, big or small you are enchanting!

About Lycoperdon perlatum

Lycoperdon perlatum, popularly known as the common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball, or the devil’s snuff-box, is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. A widespread species with a cosmopolitan distribution, it is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk. It is off-white with a top covered in short spiny bumps or “jewels”, which are easily rubbed off to leave a netlike pattern on the surface. When mature it becomes brown, and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or falling raindrops.

More information: Lycoperdon perlatum: wikipedia

Who doesn’t like puffballs? I mean what a way to disperse your spores, out of the top of your head, err fruiting body.

These cool umber-brown puffballs were the first mushrooms we saw this year in the forests of Tofino, BC Canada. Out foraging with friends and kids. The kids had their small buckets full of all sorts of fungi from the forest. Spores prints and identification followed.

Umber-brown Puffball  (Lycoperdon umbrinum)

Lycoperdon umbrinum, commonly known as the umber-brown puffball, is a type of Puffball mushroom in the genus Lycoperdon. It is found in North America China and Europe. This species has a fruit body that is shaped like a top or a pear, with a short, partly buried stipe. It is 2 to 5 cm (0.8 to 2.0 in) tall and 1 to 4 cm (0.4 to 1.6 in) broad. The fruit body is initially pale brown then reddish to blackish brown, and the outer wall has slender, persistent spines up to 1 mm long. Spores are roughly spherical, 3.5–5.5 µm in diameter, with fine warts and a pedicel that is 0.5–15 µm long. It is uncommon and found mostly in coniferous woods on sandy soils.

More information: Lycoperdon umbrinum: Wikipedia