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Dusky Puffball
Inedible 
Autumn 
Summer 
A small darkly coloured Puffball found mainly in coniferous woodland. It’s edibility is suspect so it has been placed in the inedible section.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Dusky Puffball (EN), Coden Fwg Dywyll (CY), Purchawka Czarniawa (PL), Büdös Pöfeteg (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Lycoperdon nigrescens |
| Season Start | Jul |
| Season End | Sep |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 5 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 4 |
Fruiting Body
A short off white, club shaped fruiting body covered in almost black spines, these can come away on older specimens leaving a smooth, dark, patterned ‘skin’.
Stem
Does not have a true stem but the fruiting body narrows towards the stem like base.
Flesh
Pure white and spongy.
Habitat
Saprotrophic. Mainly grows on acidic soil in coniferous woodland but can occasionally be found in grass or on sand dunes.
Possible Confusion
The Stump Puffball (Apioperdon pyriforme), pictured, can look similar but is paler and tan coloured and has warts rather than spines.
The Spiny Puffball (Lycoperdon echinatum), is similar but has a very short ‘stem’ and the spines are longer and if examined closely grow in groups of three.
Frequency
Occasional.
Other Facts
Like the giant puffball the spores can be used as a stiptic so staunch blood flow or ‘puffed’ onto burns to help with the healing.
The spores breathed in however can cause Lycoperdonosis, a lung disease, so care should be taken handling mature specimens.
The scientific name of this family can be split into two with ‘Lyco’ meaning wolf and ‘perdon’ blast of wind giving this family an alternative name of Wolf Farts!
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