Puffball Fungi

There are many species of puffballs, some are white and some brown. This one was almost 12" across.

Puffballs are always round and are in the family of Basidomycota. Inside the puffball are spores which resemble snuff. When the mature fungi is crushed it put off spores into the air and resembles smoke. My grandmother always called them Granny's Snuff Box.

In ancient times , the spores were mixed with water and used for ink. Native Americans used the snuff-like spores to make a poultice to put onto wounds and it acted as an anticoagulant.

"And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers and his snuff dishes of pure gold."

Exodus 27:23