{"id":31716,"date":"2021-12-13T10:01:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T10:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=31716"},"modified":"2023-05-19T17:17:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T16:17:05","slug":"mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/","title":{"rendered":"Mosaic Puffball (Lycoperdon Utriforme) Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Mosaic Puffball \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Edible<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-31716 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/pair-of-mosaic-puffballs-one-young-one-old\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Pair-of-mosaic-puffballs-one-young-one-old-300x182.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-31722\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Pair-of-mosaic-puffballs-one-young-one-old-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Pair-of-mosaic-puffballs-one-young-one-old-150x91.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Pair-of-mosaic-puffballs-one-young-one-old.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-31722'>\n\t\t\t\tLuridiformis at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/mosaic-puffball-from-the-side-showing-pattern-and-base\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mosaic-puffball-from-the-side-showing-pattern-and-base-250x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-31720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mosaic-puffball-from-the-side-showing-pattern-and-base-250x300.jpg 250w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mosaic-puffball-from-the-side-showing-pattern-and-base-125x150.jpg 125w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mosaic-puffball-from-the-side-showing-pattern-and-base.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-31720'>\n\t\t\t\tWilhelm Zimmerling PAR, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-31719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-31719'>\n\t\t\t\tWilhelm Zimmerling PAR, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-31718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-31718'>\n\t\t\t\tJerzy Opio\u0142a, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/13\/mosaic-puffball-lycoperdon-utriforme-identification\/close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-300x200.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-31717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-31717'>\n\t\t\t\txulescu_g, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Step into the enchanting world of the Mosaic Puffball (Lycoperdon utriforme), where nature&#8217;s delicate artistry meets culinary delight.<\/p>\n<p>Join us on a journey of discovery as we unravel the secrets of this remarkable mushroom. With its unique mosaic-like pattern and distinct shape, the Mosaic Puffball stands as a true wonder of the natural world.<\/p>\n<p>Learn to identify its distinctive features, explore its preferred habitats, and delve into the culinary wonders it offers. From its delicate texture to its mild, earthy flavor, this puffball has the power to elevate your culinary creations to extraordinary heights.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you are an experienced forager or a passionate home cook, let the Mosaic Puffball inspire your culinary artistry and delight your taste buds with its marvelous flavors. Embrace the abundance of nature&#8217;s bounty as we celebrate the captivating delights that lie within the Mosaic Puffball. Get ready to embark on a flavor-filled journey as we explore the enchanting culinary possibilities offered by this extraordinary fungus.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Scientific Name<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Lycoperdon Utriforme<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Common Names<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Mosaic Puffball.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Family<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Agaricaceae<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Habitat<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>They are saprotrophic and can be found in open pasture, grasslands, and woodland edges.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Identifying Features of the Mosaic Puffball:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Cap:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The fruiting body is round to pear-shaped and is covered with a mosaic of scales that will fall off with age. They are white to pale brown in colour but will turn browner with maturity.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31717\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31717\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-31717\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Close-up-of-mosaic-puffball-showing-the-pattern-on-its-surface.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31717\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">xulescu_g, CC BY-SA 2.0 &lt;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Stem:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>No true stem, the base is like an inverted cone and is attached to the soil by means of rhizomorphs (thick, root-like strands of mycelium)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31718\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31718\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-31718\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffballs-open-showing-spores.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jerzy Opio\u0142a, CC BY-SA 4.0 &lt;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Smell:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>No real aroma.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Spores:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Olive brown.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Uses for the Mosaic Puffball<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>In food<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The outer skin of this species can be quite tough so I tend to remove it using a sharp knife before I cook them. Like many puffballs they don\u2019t have the strongest flavour so they are probably best mixed with other stronger tasting mushrooms or my favourite way to eat them is to cut them into bite-sized pieces, dip them into flour, egg and then breadcrumbs and deep fry them as a vegan-friendly \u2018chicken nugget\u2019 alternative.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen them described as \u2018poor man\u2019s sweetbreads\u2019 to give you an idea of the texture and flavour.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Harvesting<\/h2>\n<p>Like all puffballs only collect young fruiting bodies that are still white and spongy in the middle.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_31719\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31719\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-31719\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mature-mosaic-puffball-broken-in-half.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31719\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR, CC BY-SA 4.0 &lt;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Known hazards<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>None Known<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Potential lookalikes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Other members of the Lycopodium family, all are edible as long as they are still, pure white in the middle.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2018\/12\/19\/death-cap-mushroom-foraging\/\">Death caps (Amanita Phalloides)<\/a> but these lacks the mosaic pattern on the surface and when cut in half you will see an immature mushroom ready to burst free.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/12\/02\/common-earthball-scleroderma-citrinum-identification\/\">The Common Earthball (Scleroderma Citrinum)<\/a> they tend to be firmer in texture and when cut in half you will see a mass of purple\/black spores.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/11\/29\/stinkhorn-phallus-impudicus-identification\/\">The Common Stinkhorn (Phallus Impudicus)<\/a> can also like similar when they are young, these lack the mosaic pattern on the surface and when cut in half will reveal the \u2018witches eye\u2019 rather than being pure white.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><strong>Extra Notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Mosaic Puffball has been found to contain a number of antibacterial compounds that can fight E. coli, Staphylococcus and salmonella to name just a few.<\/p>\n<p>They also bioaccumulate high levels of copper and zinc and may be a valuable source of both trace elements however further research is needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mosaic Puffball \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Edible Step into the enchanting world of the Mosaic Puffball (Lycoperdon utriforme), where nature&#8217;s delicate artistry meets culinary delight. Join us on a journey of discovery as we unravel the secrets of this remarkable mushroom. With its unique mosaic-like pattern and distinct shape,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":31717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[114,1778,1780,88,1777],"tags":[681,239,152,687,686,113,383,677,238],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31716"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31716"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76516,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31716\/revisions\/76516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}