Lycoperdon nigrescens - Dusk Puffball

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Very similar to the Common Puffball, but darker skinned and with small dark warts that persist longer than those of other frequently-encountered puffballs, the Dusky Puffball is a frequent find in acid coniferous woodland. This ubiquitous mushroom also occurs on heathland and in sand dunes, either singly or in small groups

Unlike many of the puffballs the Dusky Puffnall is considered inedible. In any case it rarely occurs in numbers that make collecting viable.

Identification Guide

	Fertile head Pear shaped, the surface background initially pale brown turning mid to dark brown, covered in dark-brown spines 1 to 2mm long; spines fall off at maturity leaving a mottled, smooth surface; an apical pore opens, through which spores are released when either raindrops hit the mature puffball or a breeze blows across the pore hole. The cross-section on the left shows the flesh of the fruitbody at a stage where it is no longer pure white but is turning olive-brown. Head size: 2 to 4cm across, and 2 to 3.5cm tall.
Stem	1 to 2cm tall and typically 1.5cm diameter, swollen towards the base; colour as the fertile head but with shorter spines.
Spores	Dark brown.
Odour/taste	Gives off a faint but rather unpleasant gassy smell when the flesh is cut. (The synonym Lycoperdon foetidum reflects this characteristic.)
Habitat	Mainly found under conifers but also in grass on heathland.
Season	June to September.
Occurrence	Uncommon in most areas.
Similar species	Lycoperdon perlatum is paler and covered in warts rather than spines. Lycoperdon echinatum, the Spiny Puffball, has a very short stem and is covered in buff spines in groups of three.