They have a convex cap, which can reach up to 10 cm in diameter, and a stem that is typically 3-6 cm long and 1-2 cm thick. To identify indigo milkcap fungi, look for their distinctive blue color, which can range from light blue to dark indigo. They typically fruit from late summer to early fall, and can be found singly or in small clusters. Indigo milkcap fungi can be found growing in deciduous and coniferous forests, often in association with oak, beech, and pine trees. They also contain significant amounts of vitamin B12, which is important for maintaining healthy nerve and blood cells. They are high in protein, fiber, and essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. In addition to their medicinal properties, indigo milkcap fungi are also a good source of nutrients. ![]() They also contain polysaccharides, which are complex sugars that have been shown to boost the immune system and fight off infections. They are rich in antioxidants, which help to protect the body against cellular damage and reduce inflammation. Indigo milkcap fungi have been used for centuries in traditional medicine for their various health benefits. In this post, we'll explore the benefits of indigo milkcap fungi, how to identify and forage them, and some tips for incorporating them into your diet. These fungi are easily recognizable by their vibrant blue color and distinctive milk-like latex that oozes from their stems and gills. Their poisonous lookalike, the Cortinarius, has darker, rusty-colored spores.Indigo milkcap fungi, also known as Lactarius indigo, are a beautiful and mysterious species found in forests throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. When you do a spore print - cut the cap off a mushroom and place it, gills down, on a white piece of paper - the spores should light in color, a whitish dull pink to pinkish beige. The spore print is one way to be confident with your ID. Blewits do not grow in bunches or on dead wood. It is rare to find just one blewit and they will often pop up in loose arcs or rings. The stalk or stem of the mushroom is bulbous at the bottom and usually has leaves stuck to it when plucked from the ground. The lavender color on a blewit is concentrated underneath on the gills, although the cap and stalk will be a little purple, too. As the mushroom ages, the edges of the cap will get wavy and appear shiny and iridescent when light hits it. ![]() ![]() It will have leaf litter stuck to it from time to time, but it will NEVER be slimy or viscid. The cap is smooth, almost suede-like appearing lavender purple if there is humidity. There will be no ring or veil around the stalk. These mushrooms are a saprotrophic species, growing on leaf litter, recycling nutrients back to the soil.īlewits have a standard “mushroom” shape: simple cap, a thick, stocky stalk, tight gills. The mushroom fruits in hardwood leaf litter under Live Oak trees and near Cedar/Juniper Ash trees in Central Texas. They need a heavy frost or freeze to initiate fruiting, so Blewits will not fruit in tropical climates below Central Texas. I have found them as late as June when we have a rainy year like 2019. Blewits can be found naturally fruiting during the fall and winter months in Central Texas.
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