Today I return to the posts on mushroom identification. This time, I'm going to talk about Lycoperdon echinatum Pers., commonly known as Spiny puffball or The Spring puffball.
This is a saprobic mushroom that occurs in mainland Europe and Africa, as well as Central and North America.
It can be found either solitary or in small groups, often growing among dead leaves, in deciduous woods on alkaline soils.
Quick identification:
- The carpophore is approximately 2,5 to 7 cm in diameter; globulous, spongy and covered by soft spines (sets of 3 or 4) which converge at the tips; initially white and then darker (from yellowish to reddish) brown. When ripe, a tiny hole opens at the top of the carpophore, through which spores are released. The fruitbody is supported by a short, conical base (not a stem).
- Without stem, ring or volva.
Habitat: It's an saprotrophic species, common in hardwood (mostly beeches) and softwood (e.g. pines) forests, but also can be found in glades and pastures, on chalk and limestone soils (alkaline).
Photo taken in the Alentejo region, southern Portugal.
Lycoperdon echinatum © David Germano | All rights reserved.
