John Miller
Blue mushrooms are a type of fungus that comes in a variety of shades, from denim to indigo to turquoise. They are found all over the world, from New Zealand to North and Central America, as well as parts of Europe and Australia. Some blue mushrooms, like the Lactarius indigo, are edible and commonly sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. Others, like the Entoloma hochstetteri, which is native to New Zealand, are not known to be poisonous but their toxicity is unknown. Blue Oyster mushrooms, on the other hand, are commercially cultivated and sold through online retailers for home cultivation. They are also commonly used in cooking and are a good source of vitamins and minerals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Blue Mushroom |
| Scientific Name | Lactarius indigo, Entoloma hochstetteri, Stropharia caerulea, Blue Oyster |
| Colour | Indigo blue, violet, greenish blue, denim blue |
| Cap Shape | Flat, convex, bell-shaped, broadly bell-shaped, conical |
| Cap Diameter | 1-4 cm, up to 6 inches |
| Cap Texture | Slimy, sticky, fibrillose |
| Gills | Adnate, decurrent, adnexed, emarginate, subdecurrent |
| Gill Colour | Blue, indigo blue, greenish blue, reddish pink |
| Stipe | Cylindrical, short and tapered, elongated |
| Stipe Diameter | 0.5 cm, 2-30 cm |
| Stipe Texture | Smooth, taut, brittle |
| Spores | Reddish pink, high spore content |
| Edibility | Edible, non-hallucinogenic, likely inedible |
| Habitat | Forests, gardens, mulched areas, meadows, pastures, roadsides, leaf litter |
| Origin | North and Central America, New Zealand, Europe |
| Uses | Food, medicine, natural dye, tattoo pigment |
| Nutrients | Saturated fatty acids, stearic acid, vitamin D, B vitamins, potassium, vitamin A, iron, copper, riboflavin, chitin |
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What You'll Learn
Blue Oyster Mushrooms
In terms of availability, Blue Oyster mushrooms can be found in the spring and fall seasons. They are considered one of the most cultivated mushrooms globally due to their fast-growing nature and ability to withstand colder temperatures.
While Blue Oyster mushrooms are a subspecies of the Pearl Oyster variety, there are other types of blue mushrooms as well. For example, the Lactarius indigo is an edible mushroom sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. It is known for its indigo blue colour, which intensifies as it progresses from species to species. Another blue mushroom is the Entoloma hochstetteri, native to New Zealand, which has a distinctive all-blue colour and reddish tint on its spores.
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Lactarius indigo
The specific epithet "indigo" is derived from the Latin word for "indigo blue". This naming is reflected in the mushroom's common names and its local names in Mexico, such as "añil", "azul", and "hongo azul". Lactarius indigo develops from a nodule within the underground mycelium, a mass of thread-like fungal cells called hyphae. The cap of the mushroom, which is initially convex, develops a central depression over time and eventually becomes funnel-shaped as its edges lift. The latex produced by injured tissue is indigo blue and stains the wounded area with a greenish tint. Lactarius indigo produces less latex than other Lactarius species, and older specimens may be too dry to produce any latex at all.
The blue colour of Lactarius indigo is due to the presence of (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. This unique feature is specific to Lactarius indigo and helps distinguish it from other Lactarius species.
A chemical analysis of Lactarius indigo specimens from Mexico revealed a higher moisture content of 951 mg/g, along with notable amounts of fat (4.3 mg/g), protein (13.4 mg/g), and dietary fibre (18.7 mg/g) when compared to common button mushrooms. Additionally, Lactarius indigo had the highest saturated fatty acids content among the tested wild edible mushroom species, including Amanita rubescens, Boletus frostii, and Ramaria flava.
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Entoloma hochstetteri
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. E. hochstetteri is common in forests throughout New Zealand, where it grows on soil among litter in broadleaf/podocarp forests. It fruits from January to July and is best spotted between April and June. The mushroom often appears singly or in pairs, and sometimes in leaf litter, near pillowy moss, or beneath mature trees.
The cap of E. hochstetteri may be up to 4 cm (1.4 in) in diameter and conical in shape. The cap colour is indigo-blue with a green tint, and is fibrillose. The cap margin is striate and rolled inwards. The gill attachment is adnexed or emarginate, the gills are thin and 3–5 mm wide, and the same colour as the cap, sometimes with a yellow tint. The cylindrical stipe (stalk) is up to 5 cm (2 in) long by 0.5 cm thick, fibrillose and stuffed. The spore print is reddish-pink.
Whether E. hochstetteri is poisonous or not is unknown. However, its gene cluster responsible for blue colouring is being investigated for potential use in manufacturing a natural blue food dye. E. hochstetteri is also culturally significant in New Zealand, featuring on the country's fifty-dollar note and being ranked first in a 2018 poll by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research for its pick as New Zealand's national fungus.
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Blue Roundhead
The fruit bodies (mushrooms) of Blue Roundhead have greenish-blue to yellowish-bluish-green caps with a whitish zone around the margin and bluish-green tints. The caps are sticky when moist and have a cuticle that can be peeled, while dry caps are smooth and shiny. The gills are initially pale purplish-brown, becoming darker brown as the spores mature, and have an adnate or sinuate attachment to the stipe.
The scientific name Stropharia caerulea was established in 1979 by German mycologist Hanns Kreisel, although the species had been known for about two centuries before that. The specific epithet "caerulea" is derived from the Latin word meaning "blue". The mushroom has also been referred to as \"verdigris agaric\" by French mycologist Régis Courtecuisse, but this name is more commonly used for Stropharia aeruginosa, a similar but rarer species with white-edged gills.
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Pixie's Parasol Mushrooms
The caps of Pixie's Parasol Mushrooms range from 0.8 to 2 cm and are a brilliant cyan blue colour. They first appear spherical and then develop a broad convex shape as they mature, with the centre of the cap slightly depressed. The caps are often sticky and appear slimy, especially in moist weather.
The stipe, or stem, of this mushroom is white and smooth and typically ranges from 1 to 2 cm long and 0.1 to 0.2 cm thick. The base of the stipe is attached to a wood substrate, usually moist wood in rainforests, beech, or eucalyptus forests.
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Frequently asked questions
A blue mushroom is a fungus that is characterized by its blue pigmentation. There are several varieties of blue mushrooms, including the blue roundhead, the indigo milk cap, the blue oyster mushroom, and the Entoloma hochstetteri, which is native to New Zealand.
Blue mushrooms can be found in various regions around the world, depending on the specific variety. For example, the blue roundhead is commonly found in temperate regions of Europe and North America, while the indigo milk cap is widespread across eastern and southwestern North America, East Asia, and Central America. Entoloma hochstetteri, also known as the blue pinkgill or sky-blue mushroom, is native to New Zealand and can be found in forests throughout the country.
Some blue mushrooms are edible, while others are not. For example, the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo) is edible and commonly sold in rural markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico. On the other hand, the blue roundhead (Stropharia caerulea) is considered inedible and may cause gastrointestinal issues if consumed. The toxicity of Entoloma hochstetteri is unknown.
Blue mushrooms can vary in appearance depending on the specific variety, but they are generally characterized by their blue pigmentation. The indigo milk cap has a convex cap with a central depression and rolled-in margins when young, and a flat or vase-shaped cap when mature. The gills of the indigo milk cap are a vivid blue and produce a blue milky latex when cut or pressed. The blue roundhead has a vividly blue-green cap that becomes broadly bell-shaped or convex as it matures, and the cap may fade to yellowish-green or develop yellow spots as it ages. Entoloma hochstetteri has a small, indigo-blue cap with a green tint, and its gills have a slight reddish tint due to the spores.
