Sketched just before the frosts and snow, these little fungi looked beautiful, cascading down the mossy crevice in a tree. When rain drops on the outer parts, it sends little puffs of the spores inside, like brown dust, so fine it floats away as smoke on the breeze.
The Greek name for these is Lycoperdon Pyriforme; Lyco = wolf; Perdon = to break wind; Pyroforme = pear shaped.
I am not sure where the 'wolf' bit comes in, but the rest is elementary!
P.S. Don't breathe in the spores. They are, in quantity, dangerous and will affect your lungs. If however you find you have inadvertently inhaled the odd puff, no matter.
