Sarah Brown
Blue is a rare colour in nature, and blue mushrooms are no exception. While they do exist, they are not extremely common. Some well-known blue mushrooms include the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo), which is native to eastern and southwestern North America, East Asia, and Central America, and the blue pinkgill (Entoloma hochstetteri), which is native to New Zealand. The indigo milk cap is considered a superior edible by some, while others rate it as mediocre in quality. The blue colour disappears with cooking, and the mushroom turns grayish. The blue pinkgill, on the other hand, has an unknown toxicity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common name | Blue Lactarius, Indigo milk cap, Blue milk mushroom, Blue roundhead |
| Scientific name | Lactarius indigo, Stropharia caerulea, Entoloma hochstetteri |
| Origin | North America, East Asia, Central America, New Zealand, Australia |
| Properties | Edible, sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico |
| Colour | Indigo blue, with a green tint |
| Shape | Conical cap, cylindrical stipe (stalk) |
| Size | Cap diameter up to 4 cm (1.4 in), stipe length up to 5 cm (2 in) and thickness 0.5 cm |
| Texture | Fibrillose |
| Spore colour | Reddish-pink |
| Spore size | 9.9–13.2 by 11.8–13.2 μm |
| Chemical composition | Moisture at 951 mg/g of mushroom, fat at 4.3 mg/g, protein at 13.4 mg/g, dietary fiber at 18.7 mg/g |
| Blue colour cause | (7-isopropenyl-4-methylazulen-1-yl)methyl stearate, an organic derivative of azulene |
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What You'll Learn
- The indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo) is edible and found in eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America
- Lactarius indigo gills produce a blue latex that turns green when exposed to oxygen
- Entoloma hochstetteri, also known as the blue pinkgill, is native to New Zealand
- PsiL and PsiP enzymes in Psilocybe magic mushrooms cause an intense blue colour when injured
- The blue colour of the indigo milk cap fades with age
The indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo) is edible and found in eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America
Blue is a colour that is found in nature much more rarely than other colours. However, there are some blue mushrooms, including the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo), which is edible and found in eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America.
The indigo milk cap is a highly sought-after mushroom due to its striking blue colour. Its gills are blue, and it exudes indigo-blue latex when injured. The latex has a mild taste and stains wounded tissue greenish. The cap is initially sticky or slimy to the touch, but it dries out as the mushroom ages. The stem is 1–2.5 cm thick, with the same diameter throughout or sometimes narrowed at the base. The interior of the stem is solid and firm initially but becomes hollow as the mushroom gets older. The indigo milk cap is sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico.
The name "indigo milk cap" comes from the Latin word "indigo," meaning "indigo blue." It is also known as the "blue milk mushroom" and the "blue Lactarius." In central Mexico, it is known by several names, including "añil," "azul," "hongo azul," "zuin," and "zuine." In Veracruz and Puebla, it is called "quexque," which means "blue."
Another blue mushroom is the Entoloma hochstetteri, which is native to New Zealand. It is a small, delicate mushroom with a conical cap that can be up to 4 cm in diameter. The cap is indigo-blue with a green tint, and the gills are thin and the same colour as the cap, sometimes with a yellow tint. This mushroom is featured on the New Zealand fifty-dollar note and is considered the country's national fungus. However, it is unknown whether E. hochstetteri is poisonous or not.
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Lactarius indigo gills produce a blue latex that turns green when exposed to oxygen
There are indeed blue mushrooms, and one of the most notable is the Lactarius indigo, commonly known as the indigo milk cap or blue milk mushroom. This species of agaric fungus is characterised by its blue latex, which it produces when the mushroom tissue is cut or broken. This feature is common to all members of the genus Lactarius, but L. indigo is distinguished by the colour of its latex, which is a deep blue.
The gills of the L. indigo mushroom are also blue, and they range from adnate (squarely attached to the stem) to slightly decurrent (running down the length of the stem). The gills are crowded close together, and their colour becomes paler with age or stains green when damaged. The latex that exudes from injured tissue is also indigo blue and gradually turns green when exposed to oxygen. This colour change is due to the oxidation of the mushroom's pigments.
Lactarius indigo is widely distributed and can be found in eastern North America, East Asia, Central America, and southern France. It typically grows on the ground in deciduous and coniferous forests, forming mycorrhizal associations with a variety of trees, including oaks and pines. The mushroom has a distinctive appearance, with a cap diameter of 4-15 cm and a stem height of 2-8 cm. The cap is sticky or slimy when young but dries out as it ages.
Lactarius indigo is considered edible and is sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. However, it is important to properly identify mushrooms before consuming them, as some species can be poisonous. While the edibility of L. indigo has been established, other species in the Lactarius genus may be toxic. Therefore, it is always recommended to avoid consuming wild mushrooms unless they have been positively identified as safe.
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Entoloma hochstetteri, also known as the blue pinkgill, is native to New Zealand
Entoloma hochstetteri, also known as the blue pinkgill, sky-blue mushroom or similar names, is a species of mushroom native to New Zealand. The small mushroom is distinctive for its all-blue colour, while the gills have a slight reddish tint from the spores. The blue colour of the fruit body is due to azulene pigments.
The species was first described as Cortinarius hochstetteri in 1866 by Austrian mycologist Erwin Reichardt and was given its current binomial in 1962 by Greta Stevenson. It is named after the German-Austrian naturalist Ferdinand von Hochstetter. In 1976, Egon Horak combined E. hochstetteri with two other species of mushroom found in Japan and the Bonin Islands, noting that they shared similarities. However, in 1990, Tsuguo Hongo examined E. hochstetteri and Entoloma aeruginosum and concluded that they were different taxa due to differences in spore size and pseudocystidia shape.
E. hochstetteri is common in forests throughout New Zealand, growing on soil among litter in broadleaf/podocarp forests. It fruits from January to July and is best spotted between April and June. The mushrooms often appear singly or in pairs, and their caps may be up to 4 cm in diameter and conical in shape. The cap colour is indigo-blue with a green tint, and the gills are thin and the same colour as the cap, sometimes with a yellow tint. The spore print is reddish-pink.
The Māori name for the mushroom is werewere-kōkako, as its colour is similar to the blue wattle of the kōkako bird. The mushroom is also featured on the New Zealand fifty-dollar note, making it the only banknote in the world to feature a mushroom.
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PsiL and PsiP enzymes in Psilocybe magic mushrooms cause an intense blue colour when injured
There are indeed blue mushrooms, and one of the most well-known species is the Psilocybe cubensis, commonly known as "magic mushrooms". These mushrooms are known for their distinctive intense blue colour when injured. This colour change is due to the presence of two enzymes, PsiL and PsiP, which play a crucial role in the mushroom's defence mechanism.
The PsiL and PsiP enzymes in Psilocybe magic mushrooms are key to understanding their unique blue colouration when injured. PsiL, a laccase enzyme, and PsiP, a phosphatase enzyme, work together in a two-step cascade reaction to initiate the blueing process. When the mushroom is injured, PsiP removes the 4-O-phosphate group from psilocybin, a psychotropic compound present in these mushrooms, converting it into psilocin. Simultaneously, PsiL oxidizes the 4-hydroxy group of psilocin, leading to the formation of quinoid psilocyl oligomers. These oligomers are primarily coupled via carbon 5, as revealed by MALDI-MS and in situ NMR spectroscopy.
The PsiL enzyme, a multicopper oxidase, is responsible for the oxidation reaction that contributes to the blue colour. It is encoded by the psiL gene, which shows high amino acid identity to a yellow laccase found in the mushroom Stropharia aeruginosa. PsiL is likely an extracellular enzyme, and its presence is essential for the blueing reaction to occur. On the other hand, the PsiP enzyme facilitates the first step of the cascade by catalysing the dephosphorylation of psilocybin. This step is crucial for preparing the compound for the subsequent oxidative reactions that lead to the formation of blue products.
The injury-triggered blueing reaction in Psilocybe magic mushrooms serves as a defence mechanism. The spatial separation of PsiL and PsiP enzymes is necessary for self-protection and to prevent fatal protein crosslinking in intact cells. Additionally, the phosphate ester of psilocybin, formed during the two-step cascade, serves a reversible protective function. This intricate process ensures the survival and protection of the mushroom, demonstrating its remarkable adaptability to stress and injury.
In summary, the PsiL and PsiP enzymes in Psilocybe magic mushrooms work synergistically to initiate an intense blue colour when the mushroom is injured. This colour change is a result of the degradation of psilocybin and the subsequent formation of blue oligomers. The understanding of these enzymes and their roles in the blueing reaction provides valuable insights into the unique characteristics of Psilocybe mushrooms and their defence strategies.
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The blue colour of the indigo milk cap fades with age
There are several species of blue mushrooms, including the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo), which is widespread across eastern and southern North America, and Entoloma hochstetteri, which is native to New Zealand. The blue colour of the indigo milk cap's cap is a distinctive feature of the species, ranging from medium to deep blue, or "smurf blue". However, this colour fades with age, turning into a grayish, silver-blue, or greenish hue.
The indigo milk cap is a unique species of mushroom due to its characteristic blue colour, which is caused by (7-isopropenyl-4-methylazulen-1-yl)methyl stearate, an organic derivative of azulene. This compound is biosynthesised from a sesquiterpene similar to matricin, the precursor for chamazulene. The gills of the mushroom are also bright blue to grayish blue, and when sliced, they bleed a deep indigo blue that slowly stains green due to exposure to air. This colour change is a telltale sign of the indigo milk cap.
The cap of the indigo milk cap typically starts out flat or slightly convex with an inrolled margin, and as the mushroom ages, the shape of the cap transforms, lifting upwards to create a vase or funnel shape. The margin of the cap, which is rolled inwards when young, unrolls and elevates as the mushroom matures. Additionally, the cap surface, which is initially indigo blue, fades to a paler grayish or silvery-blue colour with age, sometimes developing greenish splotches.
The interior of the indigo milk cap's stem is solid and firm at first but becomes hollow as the mushroom ages. The stem is initially sticky or slimy to the touch but soon dries out. The latex exuded from injured tissue is indigo blue but stains the wounded tissue greenish. Older specimens, in particular, may be too dried out to produce any latex.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are several types of blue mushrooms, including the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo), which is commonly found in eastern and southwestern North America, East Asia, and Central America.
The indigo milk cap has a cap that is indigo blue when fresh, fading to a paler grayish- or silvery-blue with age. The gills of this mushroom are a vivid blue and produce a blue milky latex when cut or pressed. The spore print of the indigo milk cap is a yellowish-cream color.
The indigo milk cap is edible and widely consumed in Mexico and Guatemala. However, opinions vary on its taste, with some considering it a "superior edible" while others rate it as "mediocre in quality". The mushroom has a slightly bitter or peppery taste and a coarse, grainy texture. The blue color disappears when cooked, turning the mushroom grayish.
