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Species Information
Summary: Features include 1) brown pear-shaped to nearly round fruitbody with an outer layer of fine pointed dark spines interspersed with granular material, the spines often leaning toward each other in groups to form pyramids, 2) the inner layer showing a netted pattern after spines have fallen off, 3) a pore developing at the top, 4) a spore mass that is white, then yellow, then brown, the lower part of the fruitbody paler than the upper part and containing a well developed large-chambered sterile base which is white at first but becomes olive-brown, 5) growth on ground in woods or meadows, and 6) round spores that are finely warty to almost smooth.
There are collections from WA, OR, NJ, PA, France, and Germany at New York Botanical Garden herbarium, (NYBG). The University of British Columbia have collections from BC and AB. The University of Washington has collections from WA and AK. Lycoperdon nigrescens is also found in CA (Arora) and ON (Bowerman(1)).
Outer Surface: 1.5-4cm across, 1.5-6cm high, "pear-shaped to nearly round, but usually with a narrowed base", outer layer "of fine pointed black to dark brown spines interspersed with granular material", the spines persisting or eventually falling off, (Arora), 2-5cm across, spherical to top-shaped, drawn out into stem-like structure at base; outer layer "with short, light to dark brown spines which lean together at the tips to form pyramids", the surface between almost smooth and light to dark brown, rarely black-brown, (Breitenbach)
Inner layer: thin, grayish tan to yellowish (usually distinctly yellow when old); developing pore or tear at top when mature, (Arora), cream when young, later brownish; with reticulate [netted] pattern after spines have fallen off; pore develops at top, (Breitenbach)
Spore Mass: white at first, then yellow, finally dull cinnamon brown to dark brown or sepia, and powdery, (Arora), olive-brown when mature (Breitenbach)
Stem: lower part of fruitbody usually paler than the rest of the fruitbody, at least when young; sterile base well developed, "chambered and spongy when fresh", (Arora), sterile base white inside when young, later olive-brown, large chambered, (Breitenbach)
Odor: not found "to have an odor other than the usual slightly unpleasant smell that all ripening puffballs develop", (Arora), when young unpleasant like Apioperdon pyriforme, (Breitenbach), unpleasant (Miller), strong, gas or metallic, (Buczacki)
Taste: mild (Miller)
Microscopic: spores (3.5)4-4.5(5) x (3.5)4-4.5(5) microns, round, finely verrucose to almost smooth; basidia 2-4-spored, 8-12 x 4-5 microns, clavate, without basal clamp connection; capillitial threads 3-6 microns wide, brownish, elastic, without septa, thick-walled, with occasional pores [pits], (Breitenbach), spores 4-5 x 4-5 microns, round, minutely spiny, (Arora)
Spore Deposit: olive-brown (Breitenbach)
Habitat / Range
single, scattered, or in groups "in humus and debris in deep woods", (Arora), usually gregarious, on "soil in hardwood and conifer forests, as well as on heath soils and alpine meadows, prefers acid soils", summer to fall, (Breitenbach)
Similar Species
Lycoperdon perlatum also forms a reticulate pattern on the inner layer of the covering after the spines fall off, but when young is white and pear-shaped, and has warts rather than compound spines, (Breitenbach). Lycoperdon molle and Lycoperdon umbrinum also have brownish spines even when young, but the inner layer appears completely smooth and without a reticulate pattern when the spines have fallen off, (Breitenbach). Apioperdon pyriforme has inconspicuous spines, grows on wood, and has persistently white tissue in the sterile base.
