DSC_6050 Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) poisonous. A northern hemisphere mycorrhizal fungus introduced into New Zealand and now invading our Southern beech forests, displacing native fungi and affecting the health and nutrition of host trees. Also common beneath exotic trees such as pines, oak, silver birch, and sweet chestnut. Waikaia Forest *
11008-07807 Grey pink gill (Entoloma canoconicum) a stout fleshy pink gill, with a pointed cap, found under Leptospermum and lowland Podocarp forest. Ulva Island, Stewart Island *
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 *
