Bovista
Encyclopedia
Bovista is a genus
of fungi in the family Agaricaceae
, commonly known as the true puffballs. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales
, which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brought about by molecular phylogeny, has been split; the species of Bovista are now placed in the family Agaricaceae
of the order Agaricales
. The 46 species have a widespread distribution, and are found largely in temperate
regions of the world. Various species have historically been used in homeopathic preparations.
). Depending on the species, the exoperidium in a young specimen may be smooth, granular, or finely echinulate
. This exoperidium sloughs off at maturity to expose a smooth endoperidium with an apical pore. They may be attached to the ground by fine rhizomorph
s that may appear like a small cord in some species. Spore
s are brown to purple-brown, roughly spherical or ellipsoid in shape, and 3.5–7 μm
in diameter.
At maturity, the entire fruit body may become detached from the ground, and the spores spread as the puffball is blown around. In Bovista, the capillitium (a network of thread-like cells in which the spores are embedded) are not connected directly to the peridial wall, but rather, they are made of separate units and branch irregularly, ending in tapered points.
when young and white inside, but caution must be taken to prevent confusion with immature, and potentially deadly Amanita
s. This is done by cutting fruit bodies longitudinally to ensure that they are white throughout, and do not have internal structures within.
s, Bovista and Globaris, that roughly correspond to the subgeneric divisions suggested by Kreisel.
Bovistina is a related but separate genus that was created to describe species with the external features of a puffball, but with the gleba
l characters of a Geaster. Bovistella
is another similar genus, it may be distinguished from Bovista by its ample sterile base.
or stammering children", "palpitation
after a meal", diabetes mellitus
, ovarian cyst
s, and "acne
due to cosmetics
". However, claims of homeopathy's efficacy beyond the placebo effect
are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific
and clinical
evidence.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of fungi in the family Agaricaceae
Agaricaceae
The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and includes the genus Agaricus, as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. The genus contains 85 genera and 1340 species.-Genera:...
, commonly known as the true puffballs. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales
Lycoperdales
The Lycoperdales are a now outdated order of fungi. The order included some well-known types such as the giant puffball, the earthstars, and other tuberous fungi...
, which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brought about by molecular phylogeny, has been split; the species of Bovista are now placed in the family Agaricaceae
Agaricaceae
The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and includes the genus Agaricus, as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. The genus contains 85 genera and 1340 species.-Genera:...
of the order Agaricales
Agaricales
The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...
. The 46 species have a widespread distribution, and are found largely in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
regions of the world. Various species have historically been used in homeopathic preparations.
Description
Fruit bodies are oval to spherical to pear-shaped, and typically 1 to 8 cm (0.393700787401575 to 3.1 in) in diameter with a white or light-colored thin and fragile exoperidum (outer layer of the peridiumPeridium
The peridium is the protective layer that encloses a mass of spores in fungi. This outer covering is a distinctive feature of the Gasteromycetes.-Description:...
). Depending on the species, the exoperidium in a young specimen may be smooth, granular, or finely echinulate
Echinulate
Echinulate is an adjective describing the spiny, or "spiky" nature of some spores found in plants and fungi; an example is the auxiliary cell. The words derives from the same root as the prefix echino, meaning that the shape is similar to the porcupine ....
. This exoperidium sloughs off at maturity to expose a smooth endoperidium with an apical pore. They may be attached to the ground by fine rhizomorph
Mycelial cord
Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae...
s that may appear like a small cord in some species. Spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are brown to purple-brown, roughly spherical or ellipsoid in shape, and 3.5–7 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
in diameter.
At maturity, the entire fruit body may become detached from the ground, and the spores spread as the puffball is blown around. In Bovista, the capillitium (a network of thread-like cells in which the spores are embedded) are not connected directly to the peridial wall, but rather, they are made of separate units and branch irregularly, ending in tapered points.
Edibility
Puffballs of the genus Bovista are generally edibleEdible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
when young and white inside, but caution must be taken to prevent confusion with immature, and potentially deadly Amanita
Amanita
The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own...
s. This is done by cutting fruit bodies longitudinally to ensure that they are white throughout, and do not have internal structures within.
Phylogeny
Phylogenetic analysis has shown that Bovista, as defined by Kreisel, is monophyletic. Also, Bovista may be split into two cladeClade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s, Bovista and Globaris, that roughly correspond to the subgeneric divisions suggested by Kreisel.
Bovistina is a related but separate genus that was created to describe species with the external features of a puffball, but with the gleba
Gleba
Gleba is the fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of fungi such as the puffball or stinkhorn.The gleba is a solid mass of spores, generated within an enclosed area within the sporocarp. The continuous maturity of the sporogenous cells leave the spores behind as a powdery mass that can be easily blown away...
l characters of a Geaster. Bovistella
Bovistella
Bovistella is a genus of fungi in the family Agaricaceae.-External links:*...
is another similar genus, it may be distinguished from Bovista by its ample sterile base.
Use in homeopathy
Reference to the genus has appeared in several 19th-century textbooks on homeopathy. Richard Hughes wrote in A Manual of Pharmacodynamics (1870) "Bovista is said to be indicated, and to have proved curative in head affections characterised by a sensation as if the head were enormously increased in size". In Lectures on Clinical Materia Medica (1887), E. A. Farrington claims that Bovista spores restrict blood circulation through the capillaries, and suggests uses associated with menstrual irregularity, or trauma. He also mentions that Bovista produces some symptoms of suffocation, and might be useful in remedying asphyxiation resulting from inhalation of charcoal fumes. Even more ailments have been suggested to be improved with use of Bovista, such as "awkwardness in speech and action", "stutteringStuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
or stammering children", "palpitation
Palpitation
A palpitation is an abnormality of heartbeat that causes a conscious awareness of its beating, whether it is too slow, too fast, irregular, or at its normal frequency. The word may also refer to this sensation itself...
after a meal", diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
, ovarian cyst
Ovarian cyst
An ovarian cyst is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary. Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimeters is termed an ovarian cyst. An ovarian cyst can be as small as a pea, or larger than an orange....
s, and "acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
due to cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
". However, claims of homeopathy's efficacy beyond the placebo effect
Placebo
A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
and clinical
Clinical Medicine
Clinical Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal published bimonthly by the Royal College of Physicians. It was established in 1966 as the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was doubly named between 1998 and 2000, and since 2001 it has appeared as Clinical Medicine. Its...
evidence.
Species
- Bovista acocksii
- reported in South Africa
- Bovista aestivalisBovista aestivalisBovista aestivalis is a small puffball generally found in the coastal regions of California. This fungus is often confused with Bovista dermoxantha, because of its similar peridium, and Bovista plumbea...
- Bovista aspara
- Bovista bovistoides
- Bovista brunnea
- Bovista capensis
- Bovista citrina
- Bovista colorata
- Bovista coprophila
- Bovista cretacea
- Bovista dermoxanthaBovista dermoxanthaBovista dermoxantha is a small, white, nearly round puffball, recognized when young by a cottony-felty outer surface that becomes inconspicuously warted, eventually leaving fine, pallid, scales on an ochre to brown endoperidium. Bovista plumbea is similar, but has a smoother surface when young, and...
- Bovista aestivalis
- reported causing fairy ringFairy ringA fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but...
s in Chiba City (Japan)- Bovista fuegiana
- reported from Tierra del FuegoTierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- Bovista gunnii
- Bovista fusca
- Bovista graveolens
- Bovista limosa
- found in IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
- Bovista minor
- Bovista nigrescensBovista nigrescensBovista nigrescens, commonly referred to as the brown puffball or black bovist, is an edible cream white or brown puffball mushroom...
- "Brown puffball" - Bovista oblongispora
- Bovista ochrotricha
- Bovista paludosa - "Fen puffball"
- Bovista pila - "Tumbling puffball"
- Bovista plumbeaBovista plumbeaBovista plumbea, also referred to as the paltry puffball, is a small puffball mushroom commonly found in Western Europe and California, white when young and greyish in age...
- "Grey puffball" - Bovista polymorpha
- Bovista pusilla - "Dwarf puffball"
- Bovista pusilloformis
- found in Finland
- Bovista sclerocystis
- reported from Mexico
- Bovista singeri
- reported from Nor Yungas, BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
- Bovista sublaevispora
- reported form Viña del MarViña del MarViña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- Bovista tomentosa
- Bovista trachyspora
- Bovista verrucosa