News: A burst of rare and colourful Blue Pinkgill Mushrooms has been documented in the Kagaznagar forest division of the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana.
About Blue Pinkgill Mushrooms (Entoloma hochstetteri)
- It is also known as the sky-blue mushroom, or werewere-kokako in Maori folklore.
- It is a blue coloured mushroom, whoose colour is derived from rare azulene pigments.
- Its gills gradually turn pink with maturing
- Ecological role: It plays an important ecological role, likely involved in decomposing organic matter and aiding nutrient cycling.
- Habitat: It is a species native to New Zealand and famously featured on the country’s $50 note.
- In India: It has been spotted blooming in the Kadamba Reserve Forest and other locations across the Kagaznagar forest division of the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district in Telangana.
- Fruiting conditions: It favors moist forest beds, especially during the monsoon, making habitat conservation vital for its survival.
