What is "calvatia"

Calvatia \Calvatia\ n. a genus of puffballs having outer casings whose upper parts break at maturity into angular pieces to expose the spores.

Syn: genus Calvatia.

Calvatia is a genus of puffball mushrooms that includes the spectacular giant puffball C. gigantea. 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 puffballs, Calvatia spp. are now placed in the family Agaricaceae of the order Agaricales.

Most species in the genus Calvatia are edible when young, though some are best avoided, such as Calvatia fumosa, which has a very pungent odor.

The name Calvatia derives from the Latin calvus meaning "bald" and calvaria, meaning "dome of the skull".