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Lactarius Indigo
No this is not a drill, yes this is a real mushroom that exists and embodies this GORGEOUS hue. Not only are these mushrooms pleasing to the eyes but they're also edible and delicious! We just found these mushrooms for the first time in Knoxville, TN and were able to harvest them for a meal. Interested in finding these mushrooms for yourself? Take a look at the main characteristics listed below:
Cap: Up to 5" Wide, Blue, Gray, & Silver, Convex with a Central Depression with Incurved Margin to Eventually Funnel-Shaped
Flesh: Whitish, Staining Dark Blue When Exposed, Firm/Thick
Gills: Indigo Blue, Broadly Attached to the Stem and Commonly Forked at Attachment
Latex: Dark Blue, Slowly Becoming Dark Green on Exposure
Stem: Up to 3" Long, Silver/Gray with Bluish Tints, Solid Becoming Hollow, Typically with Blue Spots
Ecology: Mycorrhizal with Oaks and Pines, Summer and Fall, Occasional
Spore Print: Cream to Orange. Although I was really hoping this mushroom would continue to provide rich blue hues through its spore print, after taking a spore print of one of the caps I saw its spores embodied a more orange hue.