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), https://hub.toolforge.org/P3151:48215?lang=

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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