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Lycoperdon pyriforme
Spherical soft light fungus with 'tesselated' pattern starting cream coloured when very small rapidly becoming dark brown when older. There were some slightly tubercular parts underneath or on the sides. Short white thick stipe. Sometimes in groups of 4 or 5. Largest ones were about 40mm diameter. Although they were usually halk buried naturally they were very easily knocked over showing tiny amount of thread-like hyphae. The half sized one I sectioned at home released an intensely strong mushroom odour which quickly filled the house. It was pure white inside with no obvious sign of spores.
Very wet black soil in a very tall, dark eucalyptus rain-forest.
No common name. These were used for food by the indigenous people in Australia. They are edible if the spores have not started to form. The one that I sectioned revealed pure white and no sign of spores but the smell was so strong that I couldn't think of testing it for taste 8~)
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