New Zealand Fungi and Lichens

DSC_1994 Sky-blue toadstool, or werewere-kokako (Entoloma hochstetteri) the incomparible blue mushroom. Found in lowland mixed broadleaf forest, particularly beneath podocarps or tree ferns. The Metabolomics lab at the University of Auckland has been researching the biological properties of the blue pigment in this fungi, which may one day be used as a natural blue food colouring. Lake Brunner *

DSC1994SkybluetoadstoolmushroomblueEntolomahochstetteriLake Brunner