I am fairly certain that this is the Purple-spored Puffball, Calvatia cyathiformis (and as always strongly give my disclaimer that this is a tentative definition by a rank amateur). It fits all the identification characteristics in The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms - except I did not do a spore determination, Size up to 7 inches wide and 8 inches tall (18 and 20 cm), hemispherical, smooth skin becoming cracked into distinct areas, tannish, spore mass (interior) white, growing in the right geographical area - east and central United States in grassy areas. And the photos I show here match the guide photos fairly well. This is rated a 'choice' edible mushroom - however I did not do the cinching identification of the spores, and it is growing on a lawn tended by professional companies that think nothing of spraying poisonous weed sprays which can be concentrated by growing vegetation and fungi so I had no desire to actually take it home to eat.
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