I found a weird thing growing under my daphne. It is three inches
across (about the size of my fist), it is hard on the outside and has
brown powder (spores?) on the top.


Pictures at: http://home.nc.rr.com/gillcoat/thing.htm


Any idea what it is?

I found a weird thing growing under my daphne. It is three inches
across (about the size of my fist), it is hard on the outside and has
brown powder (spores?) on the top.

Emily,

It looks like a puff-ball fungus. That's a relative of a mushroom, but more
or less spherical, and when it matures, the interior is filled with spores,
which are spread far and wide when you go over it with a mower. The
unusually wet weather is encouraging the growth of more shrooms and fungi of
all kinds.

It isn't toxic, but I wouldn't recommend inhaling the spores!

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:

I found a weird thing growing under my daphne. It is three inches
across (about the size of my fist), it is hard on the outside and has
brown powder (spores?) on the top.

Emily,

It looks like a puff-ball fungus. That's a relative of a mushroom, but
more or less spherical, and when it matures, the interior is filled with
spores,
which are spread far and wide when you go over it with a mower. The
unusually wet weather is encouraging the growth of more shrooms and fungi
of all kinds.

It isn't toxic, but I wouldn't recommend inhaling the spores!

Actually, I believe most puffballs are quite edible [check before
experiemnting] - I've nibbled at a few, but they are sort of like
marshmellos without the sugar. Maybe cooking brings out some more flavor.
Of course they aren't good to eat after they blacken and start to make
spores - you have to get them while they're white.

They're fun to 'tap' because then you see the spores poofing out.

--
Susan Hogarth ***
"If we cannot adjust our differences peacefully we are less than human."
- F. Herbert

Emily,

I assume the other posters are right when they said the thing in question is
a puffball -- my question is how you got a home page at RoadRunner; do you
have to pay for it?

I expect that I received basic info when we first subscribed to
oadRunner -- which was my best suggestion ever, according to my hubby! --
but I have the occasional rose photo, etc. that I'd like to be able to
people to see.

Thanks,

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh





"Emily G." wrote in message
. com...
I found a weird thing growing under my daphne. It is three inches
across (about the size of my fist), it is hard on the outside and has
brown powder (spores?) on the top.


Pictures at: http://home.nc.rr.com/gillcoat/thing.htm


Any idea what it is?

Anne,

The home page (5MB) comes free with the Roadrunner service. Go to
http://help.rr.com/getpage.asp?/asp/php_help_topic.asp for information
on how to set it up.

Good Luck!

Emily

Anne Lurie wrote:
Emily,

I assume the other posters are right when they said the thing in question is
a puffball -- my question is how you got a home page at RoadRunner; do you
have to pay for it?

I expect that I received basic info when we first subscribed to
oadRunner -- which was my best suggestion ever, according to my hubby! --
but I have the occasional rose photo, etc. that I'd like to be able to
people to see.

Thanks,

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh