Puffballs are fungi, so named because clouds of brown dust-like spores are emitted when the mature fruitbody bursts or is impacted. Puffballs are in the division Basidiomycota and encompass several genera, including Calvatia, Calbovista and Lycoperdon. True puffballs do not have a visible stalk or stem. The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae, but they are now known to be a polyphyletic assemblage. The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is that they do not have an open cap with spore-bearing gills. Instead, spores are produced internally, in a spheroidal fruitbody called a gasterothecium (gasteroid ('stomach-like') basidiocarp). As the spores mature, they form a mass called a gleba in the centre of the fruitbody that is often of a distinctive color and texture. The basidiocarp remains closed until after the spores have been released from the
Puffballs son hongos, así llamados porque las nubes de esporas de polvo marrón se emiten cuando el cuerpo maduro de la fruta explota o es impactado. Puffballs están en la división de Basidiomycota y abarcan varios géneros, incluyendo Calvatia, Calbovista y Lycoperdon. Las verdaderas puffballs no tienen un tronco o tronco visible. Las puffballs se han tratado previamente como un grupo taxonómico llamado Gasteromycetes o Gasteromycetidae, pero ahora se conocen como un ensamblaje polifilético. La característica distintiva de todas las puffballs es que no tienen una tapa abierta con garras portadoras de esporas. En cambio, las esporas se producen internamente, en un cuerpo de fruta esferoidal llamado gasterothecium (gasteroide ('estómago-like') basidiocarp). A medida que las esporas maduran, forman una masa llamada gleba en el centro del cuerpo del fruto que a menudo ser distintivo