Summary ²

Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum) is not a mushroom, but rather a parasitic ascomycete that grows on mushrooms, turning them a reddish orange color that resembles the outer shell of a cooked lobster. It colonizes members of the genera Lactarius (Milk-caps) and Russula, such as Russula brevipes and Lactarius piperatus in North America. At maturity, H. lactifluorum thoroughly covers its host, rendering it unidentifiable. Lobster mushrooms are widely eaten and enjoyed; they are commercially marketed and are...

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

More Info

• iNaturalist.ca taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• Mushroom Observer
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• USDA PLANTS database

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