Mosaic puffball - Lycoperdon utriforme

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Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn ​ Common names Mosaic 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 utriforme is from the Latin utriculus, meaning of the uterus or bag like

Habitat and growth

The mosaic puffball is a saprobic fungus living of the dead and decaying plant and grass material in the sward (soil layer just below grass). It has a large fruit body can be found in rings and particularly likes grazed permanent pasture.

Fruit body

There is no gills, pores or teeth and no discernible cap or stem. It is solid and has an overall uterine shape, and starts off dirty white and greys with age. The surface is covered in mosaic-like scales, particularly near the top of the fruit body. It can reach 25cm across and 20cm tall. When mature, the top cracks and falls off leaving a bowl-like structure. The wind blows the spores out of this.

Flesh, taste, smell and spores

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