Bovista aestivalis
Encyclopedia
Bovista aestivalis is a small puffball
generally found in the coastal regions of California
. This fungus is often confused with Bovista dermoxantha
, because of its similar peridium, and Bovista plumbea
. The surest way to tell the species apart is to examine the spores and exoperidium, respectively, with a microscope.
to pulvinate. In addition, it is attached to the substrate by dense masses of hyphae. At first, the exoperidium is white; originally covered in dense filaments, it breaks up into buff, fine wart
s. With age, a brown, thin endoperidium becomes exposed underneath. The spores are released via a ragged apical pore. The gleba
is soft, changing from white, to olive and eventually medium-brown.
The globose spores are 3.5-4.5 µm in length and moderately thick-walled with smooth warts. In the center lies an oil droplet and a stub-like pedicel. In addition, there is a capillitium from the central part of the gleba with numerous minute pits.
along paths. They can also be found in coastal dunes among herb
s and shrub
s. When watered, they will fruit during the summer
months and throughout the fall and winter
after periods of rain. Because of their small size, they are often inconspicuous; despite their edibility, they are often too small to be of value.
Puffball
A puffball is a member of any of several groups of fungus in the division Basidiomycota. The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae, but they are now known to be a polyphyletic assemblage. The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is...
generally found in the coastal regions of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This fungus is often confused with Bovista dermoxantha
Bovista dermoxantha
Bovista dermoxantha is a small, white, nearly round puffball, recognized when young by a cottony-felty outer surface that becomes inconspicuously warted, eventually leaving fine, pallid, scales on an ochre to brown endoperidium. Bovista plumbea is similar, but has a smoother surface when young, and...
, because of its similar peridium, and Bovista plumbea
Bovista plumbea
Bovista plumbea, also referred to as the paltry puffball, is a small puffball mushroom commonly found in Western Europe and California, white when young and greyish in age...
. The surest way to tell the species apart is to examine the spores and exoperidium, respectively, with a microscope.
Description
The fruiting body is 1.5-3.0 cm broad and varies in shape from sphericalSphere
A sphere is a perfectly round geometrical object in three-dimensional space, such as the shape of a round ball. Like a circle in two dimensions, a perfect sphere is completely symmetrical around its center, with all points on the surface lying the same distance r from the center point...
to pulvinate. In addition, it is attached to the substrate by dense masses of hyphae. At first, the exoperidium is white; originally covered in dense filaments, it breaks up into buff, fine wart
Wart
A wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human’s hands or feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. They are caused by a viral infection, specifically by human papillomavirus 2 and 7. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most...
s. With age, a brown, thin endoperidium becomes exposed underneath. The spores are released via a ragged apical pore. The gleba
Gleba
Gleba is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn.The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The continuous maturity of the sporogenous cells leave the spores behind as a powdery mass that can be easily blown away...
is soft, changing from white, to olive and eventually medium-brown.
The globose spores are 3.5-4.5 µm in length and moderately thick-walled with smooth warts. In the center lies an oil droplet and a stub-like pedicel. In addition, there is a capillitium from the central part of the gleba with numerous minute pits.
Habitat
Bovista aestivalis is generally scattered and/or in small groups on edges of grassy areasGrass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
along paths. They can also be found in coastal dunes among herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s. When watered, they will fruit during the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
months and throughout the fall and winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
after periods of rain. Because of their small size, they are often inconspicuous; despite their edibility, they are often too small to be of value.