KILDARE WILDLIFE COLUMN: Giant puffballs can reach up to 150cm wide

Last week a local farmer dropped by the Bog of Allen Nature Centre with a ‘giant’ discovery he made in one of his fields.

The land owner had found a Giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea). Due to the size of this fungi they can be easily spotted in fields as they are known to reach up to 80cm in diameter, and on rare occasions up to 150cm.

It is said that when people first spot a Giant puffball in the distance they actually think it looks like a sheep rather than a fungus!

They have an irregular globe-shaped fruit body. Their exterior is white, lumpy and leathery to the touch. Immature Giant puffballs are white coloured on the inside, but as the puffball matures the interior changes colour to a greenish brown. The puffball is attached to the ground by a mycelial cord, a root-like structure.

Although found throughout Europe they are not considered a common find. Like all fungi, they reproduce by spores, however due to their size the spore count in a Giant puffball is said to be in the trillions rather than millions or billions.

When the Giant puffball has matured their mycelial cord often breaks and the puffball can be seen rolling around the field pushed by the wind, which supports their dispersal of spores.

Giant puffballs are not just confined to fields, they can be also found in deciduous forests. With trillions of spores released each year, you would think you would find one in each field you pass while going for a walk in Autumn. Unfortunately not all the spores released are actually viable and there are only some spores that will produce a Giant puffball the following year.

An immature puffball is said to be edible however the older puffballs can actually be harmful to our health, so once again I never recommend picking and eating something from our wild habitats unless you have experience.

Have you ever found a Giant puffball?

If you come across a wildlife species that you would like help identifying contact me at [email protected].