So we last left off discussing the issue regarding the fact that the point is incumbent on us that one can’t refer to a native as "invasive" withou…
Look!
What’s that??!
There! Amongst the Pachysandra!
Is it a freshman? Perhaps passed out in our campus garden in despair after yet another stinging defeat of the Hokies?
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Nay, ’tis a pair of Calvatia gigantia – Giant Puffballs.
Pretty impressive, though. Note toes for scale. Unfortunately, with all the foot traffic in our garden, there’s little chance they will make it intact to the "fun stage" (official mycological term for when the exterior turns dark ‘n crispy and the internal spores floof out in huge clouds upon poking).
I fully expect our Pacific Northwest people to be all "You should see the size of OUR Calvatia species!"
Bring it.
“Floof out” ? Is that a mycological term??
😉
WOW. (Not as in Why oh Why but just WOW.) I’m not going to dispute Virginia’s supremacy in puffball size. But I am going to stop right there before my commentary degenerates.
Here I thought it was impressive when ours got to the “large fist” size…
But I managed to protect them from marauding teenagers & dogs (front yard location) long enough to get them to the “fun” stage. Then my kids sure had a lot of fun with their mycology lessons.
Only mushroom I felt comfortable enough with my limited mycology ID skills to eat is the giant puffball. Hard to miss, and pretty tasty, too. @Prof. Chalker-Scott – just think how the commentary could go if it were a stinkhorn peaking out from the pachysandra. Now there’s a real “fun-guy”…
Why yes, Tracy, it is. I’m a professor, you know. HA!
Floof out, floofing, poofing, puffing… I don’t know how else to describe it. “Spore release” sounds too clinical.
Sorry, but the “fun stage” is when you EAT it! Much more fun than floofing out.