The Common Puffball!
A wonderful little marshmallow like mushroom. Once you have familiarised yourself with puffballs, the common puffball is an easy identification. A key ID feature is the all white flesh inside once cut down the middle, other inedible puffballs will be filled with dark spores such as the Common Earthball.
Only young specimens should be collected, as once the spore mass begins turning yellow the fungi are no longer any good for eating.
You will find these guys growing in groups, normally from 3 to 10 specimens. They like all types of woodland and even grassland.
They have a fairly neutral in taste but soak up any flavours that you add to them like a sponge.
North American Indians used puffballs for medicinal purposes, in particular as a styptic (able to stop a wound bleeding when applied). The soft, centre of dried and immature puffballs, when broken up and then applied onto the broken skin or wound, helps to prevent continued bleeding.
Swipe left to see the puffball release it’s spores with a helping hand!
Scientific name: Lycoperdon perlatum
Happy foraging!