Plant Guide > Mushrooms > Genus Calvatia

Genus Calvatia

GENUS CALVATIA

The Calvatias are puffballs of large size, all with thick cordlike mycelium rooting from the 'base. They all eject their spores through irregular openings in the upper part of the peridium, and they all have a dense network of branching threads (capillitium) traversing the tissues of the spore-bearing portion, the gleba. These threads are elastic, and project the spores from the rind or case as they twist and turn. The sterile portion, the subgleba, is definitely limited and concave above.

Calvatia Craniformis
Calvatia Cyathiformis
Calvatia Maxima