I was mowing my yard when I ran across this unusual mushroom. It appears to be a Scleroderma mushroom also know as “earthballs” or “pigskin poison puffballs.” I found similar pictures on the internet and in a book on mushrooms, but not an exact match. I have eaten puffball mushrooms that my father-in-law cooked. I now realize that the type I ate was called a “Giant Puffball.” Many mushrooms are called puffballs because when they mature and dry out, they burst open and release spores (reminds me of Jiffy Pop popcorn). One clue as to whether a “puffball” is edible or not is the color of the inside. It must be white, not even the tiniest bit yellow and certainly not brown or black. As you can see with the mushroom I found, the inside is yellowed.
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