The Mighty Puffball
Fallen Stars
Puffballs and Earthstars
(Calvatia, Lycoperdon & Geastrum spp.)
For such an unassuming mushroom, these little guys have salted the entire earth. They're found on every continent that harbours plant life, including Greenland and Iceland. They've earned quite the reputation, being featured on stamps worldwide and referenced far more than any other fungi in Western ethno-botanical literature. In a culture riddled with mycophobes, the puffball insinuates itself because it appears so non-threatening as to be adorable, the brunt of jokes.
While nearly all puffballs are edible, puffballs are only edible while the flesh inside remains pure white. You must find them in their first few days above ground. They waste no time sporulating, their insides turning to olive-tinged goo.
The trait that earns puffballs their name is the way they release their spores. Once their insides liquefy and then dessi…
