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| Figure 1. Lycoperdon pyriforme. |
Name: Lycoperdon pyriforme
Family: Lycoperdaceae
Collection Date: October 4, 2011
Habitat: On a rotten tree stump, clumped with other fungus of the same species.
Location: The West Woods Park in Geauga County.
Description: Fruiting Body shaped like an inverted pear, or more or less round; 1.5-5 cm wide; 2.5-5 cm high; dry; often covered with tiny white spines when young and fresh, but the spines usually disappearing by maturity; typically with a pinched-off stem base; by maturity developing a central perforation through which spores are liberated by rain drops and wind currents; whitish to yellowish brown; with a white, fleshy interior at first; later with yellowish to olive granular flesh and eventually filled with brownish spore dust (Kuo, 2008).
Saprobic on the dead wood of hardwoods or conifers; growing in dense clusters, or scattered; typically in fall and winter, but often fruiting in spring and summer; very widely distributed and common in North America (Kuo, 2008).
Kuo, M. (2008 November). Morganella pyriformis. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/morganella_pyriformis.html
Keying Steps:
Key to the Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi
Basidiomycetes Pg 52.
Fruiting body round to oval to pear-shaped, or the outer skin splitting into starlike rays; interior (spore mass) firm when young but powdery or dusty at maturity; spores borne inside a spore case or numerous lentil like capsules; stalk absent to present only as a narrowed sterile base or root like fibers; usually growing above the ground. Puffballs and Earthstars. P. 677.
Key to the Lycoperdales and Allies:
1b. Not as above- (above: outer layers of fruiting body splitting into several rays which unfold or bend under (at least in wet weather) to expose t inner skin or spore case); fruiting body may rupture in star like fashion, but if so then there is no separate spore case within.
2b. Spore mass not containing peridioles, or if so then the peridioles are considerably larger than grains of sand (usually appearing more like seeds.)
4b. Peridioles absent; spores produced in a single large chamber (the spore case.)
5b. Skin (peridium) thick or thin; spore mass white when young and normally softening or becoming mushy as it darkens, then becoming powdery; basidia usually borne in a hymenium; capillitium usually present.
6b. Not as above- (above: fruiting body thick-skinned, not rupturing, usually underground; spore mass revealing a thick short columella (internal stalk) when sectioned lengthwise through the center (but columella sometimes disintegrating with old age.)
7b. Not as above- (above: spore mass with prominent veins or cords running through it, the veins seeming to originate from the base or peridium; rare.
8a. Sterile base present often has a narrowed stem like base beneath the spore case (sectioned fruiting body lengthwise if unsure.)
9b. Fruiting body small to medium sized (usually smaller than a baseball), typically rupturing through apical pore, slit, or large mouth; usually thin skinned. Lycoperdon and Allies, pg. 690.
Key to Lycoperdon and Allies:
1b. Not as above- (above: exterior of fruiting body covered with dark brown to black spines when young; yellow tones often developing in age); fruiting body not dark brown when young (but maybe pale to medium brown when young and become dark brown in old age.)
2a. Growing on wood, sawdust, or lignin rich humus (if in humus, then base with white mycelial threads or rhizomorphs and spore case with inconspicuous spines if any.)
3b. Not as above- (above: fruiting body with cinnamon buff to brown spines when young, conspicuously pitted at maturity (after spines have worn off); sterile base well developed to practically absent; found mainly in eastern North America); fruiting body never pitted, usually with white mycelial threads (rhizomorphs) at base or in surrounding substrate; sterile base well developed; common and widespread. Lycoperdon pyriforme. P.691.
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