Like most members of Scleroderma, S. areolatum resembles but is only distantly related to the giant puffball.

It can be distinguished from the giant puffball by cutting it in half; the puffball will have a solid, denser middle, with no signs of a developing cap mushroom.

They are usually 1–5 cm in diameter, and grow individually or in small groups.

[1] They are commonly found in deciduous forests, in neutral soil.

They are poisonous,[2] and ingestion can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and in larger quantities, fainting.