Interesting and seeing that Demoulin and Dring are european that would explain the synonomy in IF. Obviously, Guzman did not agree as he still uses the name and discribes Veligaster nitidum from the Virgin Islands in 2004.

DNA information seems to put Veligaster in the middle of the Scleroderma clade (see Lucan, et al.; Mycoscience (2007)48:66-69)

(both papers available online, just google)

Demoulin and Dring (1975) considered to Veligaster synonymous with Scleroderma.

I just finished reading a paper Rebecca Louzan, et al (2007) on "phylogenetic placement of Diplocystis wrightii in the Sclerodermatineae… Mycoscience 48:66-69

Diplocystis is another genus in the group but they did DNA work which shows two collections of Veligaster (columnaris) falling right in the middle of the Scleroderma clade. So while not V. nitidum, the DNA may mean it belongs in Scleroderma. I’d like to find the paper that discusses the synonomy.

I’m never sure who or when IF makes it’s nomenclatural choices. I’ve had to back track through the liturature and still never find the publication where the synonomy was made.

The reason for made the change was after reading Guzman’s 2004 paper which cited the changed name. Googling Veligaster it’s still cited in a 2007 paper by Louzan, et al. in Mycoscience

Veligaster now looks like a deprecated synonym of Scleroderma across the board. For future reference, Dennis, in the creating of a new taxon, the Author field get’s the only the author name(s). The citation goes just beneath it in the Citation field. See the corrected Veligaster nitidus name page (http://mushroomobserver.org/name/edit_name/28156) for an example.

EDIT: MycoBank agrees: http://mycobank.com/MycoTaxo.aspx?Link=T&Rec=19347. It lists Veligaster and all its species as legitimate. There appears to be a discrepancy between MB and IF.

As far as I know it’s still alive and well. See Mycologia 2004,96(6):1370-1379
based on that article it appears that Veligaster is still valid. I’m not aware if any molecular data has caused any other changes

from http://www.mycologia.org/cgi/content/full/96/6/1370

“Characteristics that separate the genus Veligaster from Scleroderma following Guzmán (1969)Go are mainly the subgelatinous patches of the upper part of the stipe and base of the globose peridium. This fungus was confused with S. verrucosum Pers. (Guzmán 1970Go), a temperate species, that differs in lacking subgelatinous patches on the peridium and having larger spores, (10–)11–13(–14) µm diam.”

And yes, it’s a stalked puffball, though of what kind I’m not sure. The base was noticeably velutinous and thickly interwoven into the ground beneath. It was considered tasty by at least one variety of insect, whose tunnels and larva are visible in the third picture.

was there a volva around the base, it is hard to tell from your photo.

it looks like a stalked puffball.