Reproduction

Being a member of the  Basidiomycota phylum, Calvatia  gigantea has a  sexual reproductive cycle.

The life cycle begins with when two haploid mycelia undergo the process of plasmogamy. This results in a dikaryotic mycelium forming Changes in the environment, such as temperature and weather, will cause the dikaryotic mycelium to begin to shape into a large, compact mass and form the fruiting body, calvatia gigantea.

Inside Calvatia gigantea will be dikaryotic basidia cells. The nuclei of these basidia cells come together in the club-shaped structures, the basidium. While in the basidium, the process of karyogamy occurs, resulting in the formation of a diploid nucleus that then undergoes meiosis. The result of the diploid nucleus undergoing meiosis is the production of four haploid nuclei that will each develop into a basidiospore. The basidiospores get ejected when they reach the point of maturity, and get distributed via the wind. When appropriate environmental conditions occur, the basidiospores germinate and develop into haploid mycelia, thus causing the cycle to begin all over again.