lobster mushroom

Hypomyces lactifluorum

Summary 2

The Lobster mushroom, Hypomyces lactifluorum, contrary to its common name, is not a mushroom, but rather a parasitic ascomycete fungus that grows on certain species of mushrooms, turning them a reddish orange color that resembles the outer shell of a cooked lobster. H. lactifluorum specifically attacks members of the genera Lactarius and Lactifluus (milk-caps), and Russula (brittlegills), such as Russula brevipes and Lactifluus piperatus

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Erlon Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Erlon Bailey
  2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomyces_lactifluorum

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