LYCOPERDALES

order of fungi (division Mycota) in the class Basidiomycetes. It includes about 270 species, among them earthstars and puffballs, which are found in soil or on decaying wood in grassy areas and woods. Many puffballs, named for the features of the fruiting body (basidiocarp), are edible before maturity, at which time the internal tissues become dry and powdery. Puffs of spores discharge when the fruiting structure is disturbed. Calbovista subsculpta, an edible puffball, is found along old road beds and in pastures. Lycoperdon is a genus of 50 cosmopolitan species of small common puffballs. L. perlatum (gemmatum) has spotlike scars on the surface and is edible only when young. These fungi are found in the woods or on sawdust in summer and autumn. Calvatia is a genus of about 35 species that are especially common in temperate regions. The giant puffball (C. gigantea), edible while young and white inside, is found in late summer on wet humus or soil. The fruiting body may be as large as 120 cm (4 feet) across and contain 1013 spores. Another genus is Geastrum (Geaster), consisting of about 30 widespread species of earthstars with an expanded starlike base. They are found among dead leaves in woods in summer and autumn. A problematic group of puffballs and earthstars, the Sclerodermatales, is sometimes placed within the order Lycoperdales, but some authorities accord it status as a separate order. Individuals of these species, found in soil and rotting wood, form puffball-like fruiting bodies with a hard outer wall and a dark-coloured interior when mature. The genus Tulostoma contains about 50 species usually found in dry regions.