Calvatia gigantea

Morphological Features:

Basidiocarp sessile and non-stipitate, of certainly spectacular size; specimens have been found with diameters approaching 100 cm, and it is relatively common to find individuals exceeding 50 cm, with weights that can surpass 20 kg. Its most typical shape is subglobose and laterally fissured, although it may also be distinctly spherical, resembling a large ball. The base is attached to the substrate by root-like structures known as rhizomorphs, which tend to harden over time.

Exoperidium generally smooth and white, which may develop slight cracks over time and gradually turn slightly cream-colored.

Endoperidium thin and quite fragile, fragmenting relatively easily; white when intact, but turning dull/soiled once fragmented.

Gleba white and compact in young specimens, gradually softening while first taking on yellowish hues, then greenish, and upon maturation becoming yellowish-brown with a powdery consistency.

Habitat:

A species that fruits on grass in meadows and pasturelands, occurring solitarily or in small groups. It may appear in late summer or during autumn; while not overly abundant, it does occur with some regularity.

Observations:

This species frequently appears in the media due to its spectacular size. It is edible provided the gleba remains white and compact; thereafter it becomes inedible. Given its distinctive characteristics, shape, habitat, and above all its size, we consider it a practically unmistakable species. All its congeners are much smaller, including the notably large Lycoperdon utriforme, which nevertheless does not approach these dimensions in any way.