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Yummy puffball or destroying angel? (sourpuss.net)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Turns out both grow in my area, and look identical to this when young. Yikes! So based on a post yesterday, I took this outside and sliced it in half. So far it looks promising (I think?) and I'm not dead yet.

This was found growing in a Colorado yard near the base of an elm tree, in an area where there are also rotting cottonwood roots. Altitude is right at 5000 feet. It wasn't my yard so I'm not sure how many days it may have been growing before I picked it today. I have put both halves in the fridge for now, is there any other information I can provide to help identify it?

A full size copy of the inside can be viewed here: http://sourpuss.net/projects/mycology/2023-08-13/IMG_7239.JPG

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's too bug-eaten to tell if it's all-white on the inside. I would avoid it because you can't really sight-ID it.

Also the shell around the outside is too thick (should be eggshell thin) imo there's a good chance it's an Earthball (also poisonous, but not destroying angel poisonous).

Get Mike Beuge's dichotomous key, it'll really help you not die.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Bug eaten? I didn't see any sign of bugs when I opened it up, but I assume you're saying a puffball should be completely solid inside? I've never even seen a puffball before so I really have no idea what to expect.

Regarding the shell, I should have mentioned that this one is only about 2.75" across, so it's still pretty small. Does that make a difference?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The holes on the inside say bugs to me. Puffballs are usually white. I know it's small, but the shell still looks too big, should be eggshell thin.

Imo, there are safer and tastier mushrooms out there. Like a king bolete or an oyster mushroom.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I'm actually growing pink and blue oysters myself, but I'm always looking at what's growing around me. I've seen half a dozen different types just in my yard, but I've always heard that puffballs were really good so I thought I'd give this one a chance if it could be identified. I'm still curious for an identification if there's any other info I can provide that might help.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This definitely looks like some sort of Bovista (puffball) and not at all like an Amanita (e.g. Destroying Angel) to me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I think it depends on the age and region? I was looking at a Colorado page on common mushrooms here and of course the destroying angle looks more like a regular mushroom once it has a chance to grown, but they also showed pictures of immature ones which looked exactly like the one I have (a big ball with barely any sign of a stem) as a warning of how much they can look like puffballs. Of course cutting it in half removed any doubt about that, but I still thought it was a fun title to put on my post.