ENTOLOMA HOCHSTETTERI
Found in New Zealand and India, this
tiny mushroom is easily recognized by its vivid blue color, which comes
from three azulene pigments. It's unknown whether or not it is edible,
but New Zealand celebrates it on stamps and the back of a $50 bank note.
(Text by Jaymi Heimbuch
CLATHRUS ARCHERI
Known as the octopus stinkhorn, this
odd mushroom is native to Australia and Tasmania. The slender pinkish
arms, usually four to seven in number, erupt from an egg-like structure.
When they unfurl, they are covered with small masses of spores called
gleba. Though it looks neat, you don't want to be near it when it
matures -- it smells of rotting flesh.
LYCOPERDON ECHINATUM
The spiny puffball or spring puffball
is one of the many mushrooms that fall under the puffball umbrella.
Found in Africa, Europe and Central and North America, the tiny
mushrooms (about an inch in diameter) are covered in little spines. This
species is edible when it is young, when it is white and firm. Lab
tests have shown that it can stop the the growth of several types of
disease-causing bacteria.
MUTINUS CANINUS
The dog stinkhorn mushroom earned its
name because of its shape, which some say resembles a dog's phallus.
Indeed, the French names for it are Phallus de Chien and Satyre des chiens. It
is common in Europe, Asia and eastern North America, and can be found
through late summer and autumn in leaf litter and wood debris.
TRAMETES VERSICOLOR
This species is a type of shelf
mushroom found all over the world. Its multi-colored patterns are easily
recognizable, and are reminiscent of a wild turkey's tail feathers,
hence its common name of turkey tail mushroom. Colors can range
depending on location and age, and the cap can be shades of rust-brown,
dark brown, grey, and even black. It is considered medicinal, and may
have benefits in protecting against cancer, though this is a subject of
debate.
HYDNELLUM PECKII
This odd mushroom found in North
America and Europe goes by many names, including strawberries and cream,
the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth.
Younger specimens bleed a bright red juice that has anticoagulant
properties. Though they aren't toxic, their extremely bitter taste makes
them inedible. The species grows under pine trees in forests.
GYROMITRA ESCULENTA
One of several species of false morel,
this species is commonly called the brain mushroom or turban fungus. It
is considered a delicacy in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and in the
Great Lakes region of the U.S. — but only if prepared correctly. It is
potentially fatal if eaten raw, so those planning to eat it need to be
particularly careful to remove the poisonous gyromitrin, usually
accomplished by boiling the chopped-up mushrooms several times.
PHALLUS INDUSIATUS
The delicate veiled lady mushroom is
found in gardens and woodlands in southern Asia, Africa, the Americas,
and Australia. Though the lacy skirt is what draws our eyes, the cap is
coated in a greenish-brown spore-containing slime that attracts insects,
which then help disperse the spores. It is edible and healthful, and is
sometimes used in Chinese cuisine.
MYCENA CHLOROPHOS
This bioluminescent mushroom is found
in subtropical Asia, Australia, and Brazil. The caps and stems emit a
glowing green light in the dark. They glow brightest when they are about
a day old and the surrounding temperature is about 81 degrees
Fahrenheit. After the first day of the cap opening, the glow dulls until
it is undetectable to the naked eye
LACCARIA AMETHYSTINA
The amethyst deceiver is a purple
beauty found in forests in North America, Central and South America,
Europe, and Asia. It is vividly purple when young, but loses the bright
color as it ages, making it more difficult to identify and thus is a
"deceiver." Though it is edible, it isn't a good choice to eat because
pollutants in the soil, such as arsenic, can bioaccumulate in the
mushroom.
HERICIUM ERINACEUS
This strange mushroom goes by many
names, including lion's mane mushroom, bearded tooth mushroom, hedgehog
mushroom, and satyr's beard among many others. Native to North America,
it can be found growing on hardwood trees. Despite its strange looks, it
is indeed edible and is sometimes served as an alternative to pork or
lamb in Chinese cuisine. The mushroom is common during late summer and
fall on hardwood trees.
CHORIOACTIS GEASTER
An extremely rare mushroom, the
devil's cigar is found only in select locations in Texas and Japan. In
Texas, the fruiting body grows on the roots of dead cedar elms, while in
Japan it grows on dead oak trees. It isn't known why it is only found
in these two distant locations. Like the octopus stinkhorn mentioned
earlier, this mushroom emerges and splits into four to seven arms, which
have spore-bearing tissue.
LACTARIUS INDIGO
The indigo milkcap is found in the
coniferous and deciduous forests of eastern North America, East Asia,
and Central America. When the mushroom is cut or broken open, the milk,
or latex, that oozes out is a beautiful indigo blue which slowly turns
green as it is exposed to air. Though it looks quite poisonous, it is
reportedly edible and is sold in markets in China, Guatemala, and Mexico.
CLATHRUS CRISPUS
This mushroom is known as the latticed
stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage. It is found growing
in leaf litter, on garden soil, grassy places, or in mulches. Though it
isn't clear if it is edible, apparently its smell is enough to deter
anyone interested in eating it. It puts off a scent similar to rotting
meat to attract insects, which help disperse its spores.
source:
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/14-bizarre-and-beautiful-mushrooms/entoloma-hochstetteri
