======Puffapod======
=====Plant Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Magical Plants]]
  * **Distinctive Features:** Pink, squishy pods that burst upon impact.
  * **Products:** Shimmery, silvery beans.
=====Description and Appearance=====
A Puffapod is a magical plant that manifests as a pink, "curiously squishy-looking" pod. When this pod is compromised, typically by being dropped or struck, it bursts open to release its contents. Inside are shimmery, silvery beans which immediately begin to germinate, rapidly sprouting into large, flowery growths with fast-spreading tendrils.
=====Magical Properties and Handling=====
The most notable property of the Puffapod is its volatile reaction to physical impact, which acts as a defense mechanism or a rapid propagation method. If a Puffapod is dropped, it will instantly burst open, and its beans will sprout at a "prodigious rate." The resulting plants can quickly entangle anything nearby.
Due to this nature, they must be handled with extreme care. Students studying [[Herbology]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] are explicitly taught the proper techniques for handling Puffapods to prevent them from bursting accidentally.
=====Role in the Story=====
Puffapods are encountered in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix// during a fifth-year [[Herbology]] lesson with [[Professor Sprout]]. While the class is learning to handle the delicate pods, [[Harry Potter]] is distracted by his plans to give a secret interview to [[Rita Skeeter]]. He accidentally drops his Puffapod onto the greenhouse floor, causing it to burst. The beans inside sprout immediately, and their tendrils begin to wrap around his legs, demonstrating the plant's unique properties firsthand.
=====Etymology=====
The name //Puffapod// is likely a simple and descriptive portmanteau. "Puff" refers to the small explosion or burst of air and matter when the pod opens, while "pod" is the botanical term for a fruit or seed case that splits open to release its seeds.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the video game //Hogwarts Legacy//, Puffapods can be grown by the player character in potting stations. Their beans are used as an ingredient for several [[Potions]], including the [[Wiggenweld Potion]]. (video game)
  * Puffapods do not make an appearance in the film adaptations of the //Harry Potter// series. (film)