Meadow puffball - Lycoperdon pratense

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Edible mushroom - novice Season - late spring to autumn ​ Common names Meadow puffball, field puffball

Scientific name meaning: The Greek Lykos, meaning wolf, and perd meaning to break wind are the origins of the genus name. The species name pratense means of the meadow

Habitat and growth

The meadow puffball is a saprobic fungus living of the dead and decaying plant material in the sward layer (soil just below grass). It can be found in rings but its irregular fruiting means its fruits are often found as singles or small numbers.

Fruit body

There is no discernible cap on the meadow puffball. Instead, it is solid and has an overall pestle-like shape. It is white to buff coloured with a scurfy, sometimes warty, skin. There are no gills and no true stem. The fruit body can reach 10cm across, sometimes larger.

Flesh, taste, smell and spores

The flesh (gleba) is white and has the consistency of a marshmallow sweet. In older specimens the flesh turns yellow, then grey-brown, before the light- to dark-brown spores are released. The smell and taste are mild and mushroomy.

​Possible lookalikes

Could be confused with some earthballs, which are toxic, but these are cream, purple or black inside. Also, could be easily confused with other puffballs, but all UK species are edible.

Could be mistaken for young poisonous Amanitas, such as the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), pictured. However, an embryonic mushroom would be visible upon slicing from top to bottom.

Use as a food The meadow puffball must be pure white inside if it is to be consumed. Any specimens that have any sign of yellowing, or worse greying or browning, should be discarded as they will cause severe gastric distress. This mushroom is eaten cooked. The skin is tough so should be removed first. It has a slimy consistency and does not have the strongest taste, so it is best turned into a schnitzel, added to mushroom soups as a thickener or included in dishes with lots of other mushrooms of different textures ​ Hazards Do not consume if any part of the specimen is showing signs of going to spore – yellowing or browning of any part of the flesh.

This mushroom can grow on roadside grass verges where it can accumulate traffic-related toxins. It is advisable to avoid harvesting from the sides of busy roads

Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known

If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner ​ Other uses None known at time of writing ​ Importance to other species Provides food for invertebrates

Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!

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