 Calbovista is a saprobic species , decomposing dead plant material . Its fruit bodies grow singly , in groups , or occasionally in clusters . Fruiting occurs from April to August in areas with broken rocks mixed with soil , or in open coniferous forest at elevations ranging from 3 @,@ 000 to 11 @,@ 000 ft ( 900 to 3 @,@ 400 m ) . Another usual habitat is on road sides . Calbovista is a common mountain puffball . Its distribution covers the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast ranges of the western United States . On the eastern side of the Cascade Range , the puffball is often found growing under ponderosa pine . It has been collected from California , Colorado , Idaho , Washington , Wyoming , and Oregon . Its range extends north to British Columbia and Alaska . The puffball is often found by morel hunters in the spring , as it grows in similar habitats . 
