Species details
Flaky puffball
Lycoperdon mammiforme
Traditionally edible
Photo: Fornax · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A pale pear-shaped puffball, covered when young with large white flaky patches; edible only while the interior is completely white.
Identification features
The fruitbody is about 2–7 cm tall and 1–4 cm wide. Young specimens have large white polygonal veil patches that later fall away, exposing an ochre-brown inner wall.
Identification checklist
In young specimens, the large white flaky surface patches are key. For food use, the cut interior must be completely white and uniform.
How to separate similar species
After the white patches fall away it may resemble Lycoperdon molle. Do not identify puffballs by external shape alone.
Habitat
Grows in deciduous woodland, especially with beech and oak on calcareous soil, in summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
July, August, September, October