Calvatia

Calvatia is a genus of fungi that includes puffballs, known for producing spores internally within a spherical fruiting body. When mature, these puffballs release clouds of spores when disturbed. Many species are edible when young and white inside, such as the giant puffball (C. gigantea), which can grow quite large and contain trillions of spores.1

Puffballs belong to the phylum Basidiomycota. While most puffballs were once classified under Lycoperdaceae, they are now often found within Agaricaceae. Other puffball-like fungi, known as earthballs, belong to the Sclerodermataceae family and are not edible, some being poisonous. It is important to correctly identify mushrooms, as some poisonous species can resemble edible ones.12