Is a giant puffball poisonous?

A giant puffball, or calvatia gigantea, is edible only before it matures. The key to identifying the giant puffball and its state of maturity is observing both its texture and lack of gills, which is done by examining the inside.

Before maturity, the inside of a puffball has a dense, white texture, which indicates it has not developed spores and can be eaten. When it has matured and spores have begun to form, the inside is yellow to brown in color and cannot be eaten. Eating the wrong species can be fatal, and mushrooms must be correctly identified to be safely consumed.