Puff Ball

[hoodat]

would these be the same things I run over with the lawn mower that causes a puff of grey cloud? I've always wondered what that was.

Those are the matured puffballs that are ready to release the spores for a new generation. In folk medicine the spores inside were used to stop bleeding. When I was a kid (back in th stone age) we used to puff them in other kids faces. They're pretty good sneezing powder but now I know that could be dangerous to someone with allergies.