OuiSi Nature card 108: Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves. Photograph by Meg Madden The whole photograph behind card 108: Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves. Photograph by Meg Madden

OuiSi Nature · Card 108

Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves

Lepista nuda

Location
Middlebury, VT, USA
Date
November 28, 2020
Photograph byMeg Madden

Description

Purple mushrooms are a rare and welcome treat to find, and the beautiful wood blewit is no exception. A delicious edible species, wood blewits are characterized by their brilliant violet color, pink spores, and a scent reminiscent of oranges. They are not recommended for beginner foragers because of their similarity to toxic look-alikes. Not only do wood blewit mushrooms feed on decaying matter such as leaves and wood, but they can also eat soil bacteria. Penetrating colonies of bacteria with specialized root-like tissues, they secrete digestive enzymes which turn the bacteria into a nutritious soup.

Meg Madden

The photographer

Meg Madden

Professional photographer, naturalist, mycologist. Myco influencer & educator.

Learn more about Meg Madden

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OuiSi Nature card 108: Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves. Photograph by Meg Madden The whole photograph behind card 108: Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves. Photograph by Meg Madden

Wood Blewit against Bigtooth Aspen Leaves

Photograph by Meg Madden