This strange thing has been growing in our front yard for several days. We suspect alien activity and this is probably a seed pod left by the extraterrestrial visitors.
PetCat is willing to investigate from a distance.
A quarter is contaminated by being placed upon the pod to give a better idea of the size of the thing.
I dare to get close enough to almost touch it. The frame of reference seemed better using my hand than the quarter. It is about the size of an orange.I don't think I've ever seen a puffball quite so large, although they can get much larger than this. This one is growing in an area of the yard where we've had fairy rings develop in the past.
Told ya it was an alien seed pod.
Check these links for more information on puffball fungi and fairy rings.
http://americanmushrooms.com/edibles3.htm
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/puffballs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvatia_gigantea
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/fairy_rings.html
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/fairing.shtml
