Stump Puffball - Apioperdon pyriforme

A small long-stemmed puffball, often pear-shaped, typically found on tree stumps or buried rotten wood, often in troops or clusters.  Young specimens are covered in small short, conical spines that fall off as it matures.  It is whitish at first, darkening as it ages, and eventually has a smooth papery brown skin with little patterning.  The stem has solid flesh, and it is attached to the substrate by white root-like mycelial cords.  As it matures, a darker zone can be seen developing at the apex; this eventually becomes the pore through which the spores are released.  

Some similar Lycoperdon species have spongy flesh at the stem or base and a net-like reticulated pattern on the weathered head, and are rarely on wood, although may be found in woodlands. 

Photograph in habitat and in close up to show details of surface patterning

Woodlands or under trees, on decaying stumps, logs and buried wood of deciduous or coniferous trees

Autumn.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.