Pear-shaped puffballs

These pear-shaped puffballs (Morganella pyriformis) are at Fall Creek Gorge in Warren County. A light rain was falling. The occasional raindrop would hit one of these puffballs, and a puff of a brown smoke of spores would appear. I tried to get a picture of the wisp of spore smoke floating in the air, but didn't get any photo timed just right.

Link to Morganella pyriformis:

Link to Morganella pyriformis:


This puffball is part of the group pictured above. You can see the dust of expelled spores off to one side. The three orange red dots on the left are another kind of fungus, the eyelash cup fungus, Scutellinia, which is an ascomycete.

Link to Scutellinia:

Link to Scutellinia:

Link to Scutellinia:

This fungus covered log is on the high trail along the rim of the Fall Creek Gorge. Pictures taken October 6, 2009.