Hypomyces lactifluorum

Taxobox

---

name = Lobster mushroom
regnum = Fungi
divisio = Ascomycota
classis = Sordariomycetes
ordo = Hypocreales
familia = Hypocreaceae
genus = "Hypomyces"
species = "H. lactifluorum"
binomial = "Hypomyces lactifluorum"
binomial_authority = (Schwein.) Tul. & C.Tul.

Lobster mushroom ("Hypomyces lactifluorum") is not, in the truest sense of the word, actually a mushroom. It is 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 commonly found in some large grocery stores. They have a seafood-like flavor and a firm, dense texture. According to some, they may taste somewhat spicy if the host mushroom is an acrid "Lactarius".

External links

* [http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/aug2001.html A lobster mushroom article on Tom's Fungi]
* [http://americanmushrooms.com/taxa/Hypomyces_lactifluorum_01.htm AmericanMushrooms.com: Lobster Mushroom]
* [http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Hypomyces_lactifluorum.html Lobster mushroom on mykoweb]