Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Oaxaca

1. Indigo milk cap

This gorgeous species is unlike any other. The indigo milk cap, a member of the often-drab russula family, is deep blue in color. Like other milk caps, it bleeds a latex-like substance when cut or damaged, but instead of the usual white this species bleeds deep blue.

2. Russell's bolete

Russell's bolete is a unique-looking bolete with an attractive appearance that makes it easy to spot underneath oaks and other hardwood trees. It is distinctive for its slender stem which is also shaggy and pocketed. Unlike similar species, russell's bolete’s cap does not become sticky.

3. Wine-colored Agaric

Much like many other Agaricus, the wine-colored Agaric (Agaricus subrutilescens) lives happily on the floors of conifer forests but can be identified by its dark burnt-maroon color and shaggy appearance of the stem. They are distinguished by their delightful, fruity fragrance. Don't be too tempted by the smell, however; these mushrooms can cause severe gastric issues in those who consume them.

4. Bridal veil stinkhorn

Bridal veil stinkhorn (Phallus indusiatus) can be found rising up from the ground in tropical forests around the world. A distinctive netted fringe “skirt” descends from the cap along the length of the stalk. A type of “stinkhorn,” the fruitbodies of this species produce scents that vary between sickly-sweet to just plain unpleasant. The odor is meant to attract insects that usually lay their eggs in carrion.

5. Shaggy mane

The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”

6. Fan-shaped jelly-fungus

Just as its Latin and the common English names suggest, the fan-shaped jelly-fungus (Dacryopinax spathularia) is a fan-shaped or spatula-shaped jelly-like mushroom. It commonly grows in wood cracks and it sometimes even appears in the cracks of the processed wood and lumber. Despite the word "jelly" in its name, the fan-shaped jelly-fungus is not considered edible.

7. Amethyst deceiver

The amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is a breathtaking mushroom that pops up from coniferous forest floors. The caps are a striking violet color in youth and are generally flat with a small indentation when the stem connects. As they mature, this violet color transforms to a less than breathtaking grey color, making it quite hard to identify after a certain age positively. Not edible.

8. Changle

A beautiful fungus resembling undersea coral, the changle (Ramaria flava) appears as a bright tuft of lemony or sulfurous yellow when young. It fades into a deeper brown shade with age. The changle's cluster of branches is hard to distinguish from other coral species, some of which are quite poisonous.

9. Ivory woodwax

Ivory woodwax (Hygrophorus eburneus) prefers to sprout in moist and loamy soil. Common to thickets and similarly grassy areas, this species is easily identifiable due to its color and its slimy, almost waxlike coating. Specimens have been recorded in Europe, North American and Northern Africa.

10. Meadow mushroom

The meadow mushroom grows in meadows and pastures around the world—especially those rich in manure—when the weather is warm and wet. They are known to appear in “fairy ring” shapes. Originally identified in Europe, it is possible that North American specimens identified as meadow mushrooms may genetically belong to other species.

11. Rosso coral fungus

Rosso coral fungus's coral cap and short, white base makes it easy to distinguish from other species. It is often found either growing alone or in groups under conifers and hardwood trees. Its resemblance to coral also gives the mushroom its common name, "coral fungus."

12. Common puffball

These puffy mushrooms grow in small groups on the forest floor. Once they're mature, common puffballs turn yellow and "puff out" smoke-like spore clouds when disturbed. Be very careful when identifying these mushrooms, as their young, immature form looks very similar to the lethal Deathcap.

13. Blewit

The blewit mushroom grows in fallen leaves in autumn and winter, sometimes appearing in ‘fairy ring’ circles. It can be used to make a green dye when chopped and boiled in an iron pot. The scientific name, Lepista nuda, derives from Latin words meaning “bare goblet,” a reference to the shape and texture of the mushroom.

14. Lion's Mane Mushroom

Lion's Mane Mushroom(Hericium erinaceus) is easily identifiable by its characteristic appearance, reminiscent of the majestic mane of a lion. It often sprouts along hardwoods, which may be living or dead. Scientists thus debate whether this species is truly parasitic or merely saprophytic in nature.

15. Corn smut

With a common name such as "corn smut," it is easy to guess that the most common place to find this crop-devastating fungus is on corn plants. The gall-shaped growths of corn smut (Ustilago maydis) are black in color with hues of grey and white closer to where they attach to the host plant. The corn will develop a scorched appearance, which is actually the smut rot.

16. Scutiger pes-caprae

17. Blue-staining slippery jack

If you come across a blue-staining slippery jack (Suillus tomentosus) in the wilderness, chances are you're adventuring through a conifer forest after heavy rain. True to the common name, the caps can stain your hands a brownish-blue color. The surface area of the cap has a velvety texture when young.

18. Fried chicken mushroom

Lyophyllum decastes, often referred to as the fried chicken mushroom, is a gregarious species of mushroom found across North America that is particularly prevalent along the west coast. Though the species' dull brown cap and whitish stalk are rather unremarkable, it does have the tendency to grow in very large clusters, which may help to distinguish it from similar-looking species, some of which are quite toxic.

19. Peeling puffball

It is easy to spot as it resembles a puffball but has spines that gradually peel off as it ages. This appearance gave this mushroom its common name "peeling puffball." peeling puffball thrives underneath deciduous and conifer trees, getting its nutrients from decaying plant matter.

20. Leafy brain

Leafy brain is a parasitic slime mold that feeds off mushrooms. As hinted by its name, it has distinct lobes that start off leaflike and become more wrinkled and brain-like with age. This slime mold shrivels into black crusts when dry but can perk up again after rain.

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