| Species name | Bovista plumbea |
| Common name | Grey puffball |
| Peridium (exterior) | Subspherical, 2-5cm across, stemless, outer skin smooth and white but peeling away to expose dark grey papery inner peridium, opening at circular apical pore |
| Gleba (interior) | Firm and white > powdery and olive, without sterile base |
| Mycelia | Attached to ground via mycelial strands (often detaches) |
| Growth form | Trooping groups |
| Spore colour | Brown |
| Spore features | Ellipsoidal, warty, tapered stalk |
| Habitat | Grasslands, pastures, lawns, coastal turf |
| Season | Summer-autumn |
| Distribution | Widespread,common |
| Identifying feature | Tapered stalk on pores, small size, circular apical pore |
| Similar species | Similar to Bovista nigrescens (especially when young) but smaller, older samples differ in colour and apical pore shape, spore stalk is also more tapered than blunt |
Irish Grassland Fungi 