Lycoperdon perlatum
Lycoperdon perlatum is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. It is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk. A hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or falling raindrops.
About Lycoperdon perlatum in brief
Lycoperdon perlatum is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. It is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk. When mature it becomes brown, and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is compressed by touch or falling raindrops. The puffball grows in fields, gardens, and along roadsides, as well as in grassy clearings in woods. The spores are spherical, thick-walled with minute spines, and measure 3.5–4 m in diameter. The fruit body ranges in shape from pear-like with a flattened top, to nearly spherical, and reaches dimensions of 1. 5 to 6 cm wide by 3 to 7 cm tall. The outer surface of the fruit body is covered in short cone-shaped spines that are interspersed with granular warts. Extracts of the puffball have antimicrobial and antifungal activities. The species was first described in the scientific literature in 1796 by mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon. L. perlatum can usually be distinguished from other similar puffballs by differences in surface texture.
Several chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from the fruit bodies of L. Perlatum, including sterol derivatives, volatile compounds that give the puff ball its flavor and odor, and the unusual amino acid lycoperdic acid. The puffed spores are ejected from the ostiole at a velocity of about 100 centimeter to form a cloud-tall cloud. A single puffball can release over a million spores, and this can be a second-hundredth of a second after impact. A study of the spore release mechanism in L pyre using high schlieren photography determined that raindrops of 1 mm diameter or greater were sufficient to cause a spore discharge from the ovary. The spines can be easily rubbed off, and leave reticulate pock marks or scars after they are removed. In young puffballs the internal contents, the gleba, is white and firm, but turns brown and powdery as the spores mature.
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This page is based on the article Lycoperdon perlatum published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
