stalked puffball
- noun
- /stɔkt pʌfˌbɔl/
- Specialized
- Unlike the typical round puffball, the stalked puffball has a noticeable stem elevating its spore case.
Examples
-
The stalked puffball can often be found growing in dry, sandy areas.
-
Mycology students studied the stalked puffball to learn about the diversity of fungi.
-
Look at this stalked puffball!
-
I found a stalked puffball in the forest.
-
Mycology students studied the stalked puffball to learn about the diversity of fungi.
-
The stalked puffball can often be found growing in dry, sandy areas.
-
Unlike the typical round puffball, the stalked puffball has a noticeable stem elevating its spore case.
Synonyms
A fungus with a round top that sits on a thin stalk like a puffball
A round fungus with a stalk that releases spores
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built from 'stalked' (having a stalk) + 'puffball' (a type of fungus), so a learner who knows both words can directly infer it refers to a puffball mushroom that has a stalk. This is a straightforward, literal modifier + noun construction common across languages, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Stalked puffball is a name that comes from how the mushroom looks: a round puffball sitting on a thin stalk, like a lollipop on a stick. That's why the name means a puffball 'with a stem'.