Pestle puffball or Mosaic puffball

Fruiting body skittle-shaped, 10-20 (up to 30) cm tall, 4-10 cm wide at the top. The upper (fertile) part is a round or egg-shaped head with a rounded tip; the lower (sterile) part is a cylindrical, elongated “stalk”. Color: young ones are white, later cream, then yellowish brown. The surface is smooth or finely warty at first, later cracking into coarser scales, and the top opens to expose the spore mass.

The fruiting body is round, sac-shaped or upside-down pear-shaped, 5-15 cm tall and 4-12 cm wide. Young ones are smooth or finely downy; with age coarser scales appear and the skin peels off in patches. Color: young ones are white, later cream, then grayish brown. In mature ones the top dies, exposing a brownish-gray spore mass.

The hymenophore is internal (gleba), as in all puffballs. The young gleba is white, dense and uniform. With age it turns yellow, then green, then becomes a dark olive-brown powdery mass of spores. Spore print dark olive-brown.

The hymenophore is internal (gleba). The young gleba is white, dense and uniform, with no visible chambers or structures. With age it turns yellow, then green, then becomes a dark olive-gray powdery mass of spores. Spore print dark olive-gray to brown.

Not a separate part — the fruiting body is one piece, skittle-shaped. The “stalk” is the lower sterile part of the same fruiting body, cylindrical, white, scaly in old ones. There is no ring.

There is no separate stem — the fruiting body is one piece. At the bottom there is a short sterile “stalk-base” 2-4 cm high, noticeably narrower than the top, white, scaly in old ones. There is no ring.

The flesh in young ones is white, uniform and firm, with a delicate taste reminiscent of chicken breast. With age it turns yellow, then green, and becomes a spore mass. Check before cooking: if the cut shows uniform white — it's good; any yellowish or greenish tint — throw it out.

The flesh in young ones is white, uniform and firm, with a delicate mild taste. With age it turns yellow, then green, and becomes a spore mass. Check before cooking: if the cut shows uniform white — it's good; any yellowish or greenish tint — throw it out.

A faint, pleasant mushroomy smell. The taste is mild and delicate.

A faint, pleasant mushroomy smell. The taste is mild and delicate, nothing distinctive.