This terrestrial puffball has purplish or purple-brown spores, which distinguish it from other large Agaricales.

As it matures it often becomes pear or irregularly-shaped and the exterior skin takes on a dark or silvery colour.

As it ages the exterior dries and cracks and the fleshy spore-bearing interior breaks away to be distributed by wind and rain.

After the spores completely disperse, "a soft leathery cup-shaped sterile base lightly rooted to the ground remains".

"[3] The spore mass turns from white to yellow to dull purple or purple-brown at maturity.