The fruiting bodies of these fungi have two layers of tissue. As the outer layer dries, it splits and curls back into a star-shape revealing a central puff ball.

This puff ball contains the fungus' spore producing tissue, which is called the gleba. Mature spores are very fine and powdery. They are dispersed through a small hole in the top of the ball. This happens when the ball is struck by a raindrop. The ball acts like a tiny bellows, ejecting a cloud of spores into the air.