Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea (Batsch) Lloyd    
Kingdom Fungi   >   Phylum Basidiomycota   >   Class Agaricomycetes   >   Order Agaricales   >   Family Agaricaceae   >   Genus Calvatia   

Status:

Found solitary or scattered on ground in open woods, pastures, and grassy areas.

Description:

White fruiting body may be 15 inches or more and weigh several pounds. Smooth, almost round, with some indentations as it ages. A single attachment to the ground. (J. Solem, pers. comm.)

There are 37 records in the project database.

View taxon at MycoBank

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GAALWA FR CLMO HO BA BC HA CEPG AA CV CH SMKE QACNTADOWISOWO
A Giant Puffball in Prince George's Co., Maryland (11/16/2019). Photo by Anne Looker. (MBP list)

Giant Puffball (9" fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (10/26/2014). Photo by John Harris. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball (fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (10/25/2013). Twelve-inch ruler included for scale. Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Giant Puffball in Montgomery Co., Maryland (10/25/2017). Photo by Jane Hill. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball (fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (10/5/2014). Black handle is 10.5 inches. Photo by Joanne Solem. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball from below in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/26/2015). Photo by Kathy Calvert. (MBP list)

Giant Puffballs in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/16/2015). Photo by Kathy Calvert. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball growing in Calvert Co., Maryland (11/2/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball in Montgomery Co., Maryland (10/26/2015). Photo by Kathy Calvert. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball in Washington Co., Maryland (10/15/2015). Photo by Michael Douglas. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball (single attachment to ground) in Howard Co., Maryland (10/25/2013). Twelve-inch ruler included for scale. Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball in Howard Co., Maryland (10/12/2017). Photo by Allen Dupre. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball in Charles Co., Maryland (10/19/2013). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Giant Puffball in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (11/12/2017). (c) Matthew Beziat, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Giant Puffball (split young fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (10/5/2014). Photo by Joanne Solem. (MBP list)

A Giant Puffball in Harford Co., Maryland (10/7/2018). Verified by Jo Solem. Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Spores collected from a Giant Puffball specimen (last fall's fruiting body) in Howard Co., Maryland (8/25/2015). Eound, smooth, light brown; measured 3.7-3.9 microns. Photo by Robert Solem. (MBP list)

Giant Puffball in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/21/2020). (c) jwarn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by jwarn via iNaturalist. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

Eating mushrooms can be dangerous. One should do so only with expert advice and great care. MBP accepts no liability for injury sustained in consuming fungi or other biodiversity.