November Mushroom of the Month: Collybia nuda \\ Wood Blewit
Collybia nuda are some of the last fleshy fungal fruiting bodies to appear in the autumn mushroom season, especially in the southern part of our state. A saprotrophic species, they can be found emerging in small troops or loose clusters among fallen leaves and decaying matter in both coniferous and deciduous woods. These mushrooms are typically a lilac hue which can range from purple to a pale pinkish-buff. The white-spored gills are attached to a short stem and many people describe them as having a pleasant, almost fruity orange juice odor.
Often sought after by foragers, like any wild edible mushroom, C. nuda should be properly cooked as they’ve been known to cause gastric upset when consumed raw. Also keep in mind that some Cortinarius species can be mistaken for C. nuda but unlike their lookalikes, C. nuda don’t have webby gill coverings, veil remains, rings on their stems nor brown or rust-colored spores.
This beautiful fungi is also one of the many types of mushrooms that’s been found growing in a fairy ring and have apparently also been seen decorating the bowers of Australia's Satin Bowerbirds who collect and arrange blue objects, such as berries, flowers, and in some cases, the wood blewit mushroom, to attract females.
Text by Liz Weinstein, Images: Collybia nuda photo by Jimmie Veitch, Fairy Ring Under Oak by Kevin Sharp, Satin Bowerbird at His Bower by Joseph C. Boone.
