Calvatia cyathiformis
(Bosc.) Morgan
Purple-spored puffball
(c) Randy Bodkins, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Randy Bodkins
(c) Christian Schwarz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Christian Schwarz
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fungus, Mushroom, Vegetable
It is said to be edible until the flesh begins to turn to a tan colour. The puffball has not been noted to have a distinctive odor or taste.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Death Cap (button stage): When cut in half reveals developing gills, stem, and cap outline inside the round exterior.
Purple-spored puffball: Uniform pure white flesh when cut in half, no internal structures visible, very large when mature.
Where to Find It
It grows in tropical and subtropical places.
Africa, Asia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, North America, SE Asia, USA, West Africa,
How to Identify
A mushroom. It is a puffball fungus.
Nutrition Score: 26/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mushroom | 5.3 | — | — | 13.2 | — | — | — | — |
Wikipedia
Source ↗Calvatia cyathiformis, or purple-spored puffball, is a large saprobic species of Calvatia. This terrestrial puffball has purplish or purple-brown spores, which distinguish it from other large Agaricales. It is found in North America and Australia, mostly in prairie or grassland environments. It is reportedly edible when young.
Notes
There are about 35 Calvatia species. All puffballs or Lycoperdiaceae are considered edible. See Alexopoulos, C.J., 1962, Introductory Mycology. Wiley Toppan. p 521
Names & Synonyms
Beixing tumabo, Pumus
References (12)
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- Aletor, V. A., 1995, Compositional studies on edible tropical species of mushrooms. Food Chemistry 54 (1995) 265-268
- Alonso-Aguilar, L. E., et al, 2014, The cultural significance of wild mushrooms in San Mateo Huexoyucan, Tlaxcala, Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10:27
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
- Boa, E. R., Wild edible fungi and their importance to people. FAO Non Wood Forest Products Booklet 17
- Hall, I. R., et al, 2003, Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World. Timber Press. p 273
- Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 318
- Purkayastha, 1978,
- Ruan-Soto, F. et al, 2009, Use and handling of wild fungi in two communities of the Lacandona Rainforest, Chiapas, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Micologia. 29, 2009
- Santiago, F, H., et al, 2016, Traditional knowledge and use of wild mushrooms by Mixtecs or Ñuu savi, the people of the rain, from Southeastern Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 12:35 p 8
- Schneider, E., 2001, Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The essential reference. HarperCollins. p 509
- Yanovsky, E., 1936, Food Plants of the North American Indians. United States Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication No 237. Washington, D.C. p 2
