Spore Mass: Firm and white at first, turning yellow, then olive, then olive-brown. Habitat: Grows on stumps and rotting logs. Edibility: Edible only when the inner portion of the mushroom is pure white. Comments: This mushroom is fairly common in the mountains of colorado. While all puffballs are edible, I find them to be not very good, although I have found others who disagree. It's usually found in the fall, but the dried puffballs can be found all year long. Again, as with collecting any puffball for the dinner plate, be sure to cut through the mushroom to make sure the inner portion is solid. Many immature mushrooms can pose as puffballs and are revealed when the mushroom ball is cut in half revealing an organized structure such as an immature cap and stem. This mushroom is easy to identify by its growth on wood in tight clumps, rough surface texture when mature, and solid white or olive green interior.
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