Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Lycoperdales
Species: Bovista sp.
Common name: Puffball
The photos below are of a common small white puffball found growing in lawns and in grass areas. It is about 30 mm high with a width of 30 mm. A puffball is a member of any of a number of groups of fungus in the division Basidiomycota. The true puffballs of the Lycoperdales do not have a visible stalk (stem). Puffballs unlike other types of fungi that hold spores in gills or teeth, puffballs contain the spores inside a layer of tougher outer skin. When a puffball reaches maturity, the tough skin will split open, allowing the billions of spores to be released.
