FRUIT BODY: 2 - 10cm wide. Round to elliptical in shape with an outer peridium that is thin and externally yellowish covered in largish scales as opposed to its near relatives. The stem is almost non-existant and the whole fruiting structure is attached to the ground by obvious thick mycelial threads.  This fungus is the only species that plays host to Boletus parasiticus.  An alternative name is the descriptive Poison Pigskin Puffball.  GLEBA: Starting pale becoming a marbled black before turning to purplish powdery spore mass. SPORES: Purplish brown, round and reticulated. HABITAT: Deciduous of coniferous wooded areas with rich soil. SEASON: Very common. Late summer to autumn. EDIBILITY: Inedible and capable of causing severe gastrointestinal upset.