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Species Information
Summary: Bovista pila is 3-9cm across and spherical. The exterior is white becoming pinkish then flaking off in patches to reveal a shiny bronze-metallic or copper-metallic inner layer that is thin, tough, and persistent, with cracks or a pore opening at top. The spore mass inside is white at first then brown to purplish brown. The fruitbody is attached to the ground by a small cord that breaks when mature allowing the spore case to roll about releasing spores. Spores are round and smooth.
B. pila is found in BC (in Redhead(5)) and there are collections from BC at the University of British Columbia. The New York Botanical Garden has collections from WA, OR, and ID. Desjardin(6) illustrate it for CA.
Outer Surface: 2.5-9cm wide, spherical or nearly so; white or slightly pinkish, flaking off when mature, (Ammirati), white becoming dark pinkish and flaking off in patches, (Lincoff)
Inner layer: "thin, tough, persistent"; "shiny bronze or coppery metallic"; cracks open at top, (Ammirati), bronze; smooth, shiny; "with cracks or pore opening at top", (Lincoff)
Spore Mass: "white at first then brown to purplish brown at maturity", (Ammirati)
Stem: attached to ground by small cord that breaks when mature; "commonly becomes detached and is blown about, dumping spores as it tumbles along", (Ammirati)
Odor: none (Miller)
Taste: unknown (Miller)
Microscopic: spores 3.5-4.3 microns, "round, smooth, with short colorless stalk", (Lincoff)
Habitat / Range
single or in groups, in grassy areas, stables, corrals, or open woods, summer and fall; old spore cases can last the winter, (Ammirati), June to October, (Lincoff)
Similar Species
Bovista plumbea is somewhat smaller, "attached to the soil by a small patch of fibers rather than a small cord", and the spore case is "bluish gray to purplish umber", (Ammirati).
