Developmental morphology, anatomical features and fairy ring formation by two gasteroid basidiomycetous mushrooms, growing on grass lawns in ghana

Abstract

Calvatia and Lycoperdon belong to the Gasteromycetes commonly called gasteroid fungi or puffballs. Their basidiospores are kept in a stomach-like glebal and spores are not discharged forcibly. An account of diagnostic characters, developmental morphology, anatomical features, and fairy ring formation of Calvatia cyathiformis and Lycoperdon sp. are presented during three (3) years (2017 – 2020) study. C. cyathiformis has epigeous habit on the grass lawn appearing after 2 – 3 weeks as a small whitish button and changed colour to cream and finally pinkish to purple at maturity. The basidiocarp was ball-shaped becoming two chambered with basal portion distinct from the upper. This fungus formed a complete circle fairy ring with a striking greening of the grass along the periphery of the circle where the basidiomata emerged. Lycoperdon sp. produced basidiocarp which was also epigeous and matured within 2-3 weeks. The basidiocarp was initially greyish white maturing into brownish colour. Lycoperdon sp. formed a semi-circle fairy ring without change in the grass colour for three consecutive years. Although fairy rings have been formed by other Lycoperdon sp. these present findings of semi-circle fairy ring formation is being recorded for the first time in Ghana.