Lactarius indigo

2023-04-01T01:37:13Z

Showard8:

[[File:Lactarius indigo-1024x768.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Lactarius indigo]]
''Lactarius indigo'', more commonly known as the indigo milkcap or blue milk mushroom, is unique for its bold blue coloring. Lactarius indigo is a member of the Lactarius genus, meaning “milk mushroom”; when cut open or bruised, it produces a milky latex. [5]
== Taxonomy ==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width:85%;"|
|-
|
! scope="col" | Kingdom
! scope="col" | Division
! scope="col" | Class
! scope="col" | Order
! scope="col" | Family
! scope="col" | Genus
! scope="col" | Species
|-
! scope="row" | Classification
| Fungi
| Basidomycota
| Agaricomycetes
| Russulales
| Russulaceae
| Lactarius
| L. indigo
|}

== Description ==
[[File:256px-Lactarius indigo 7283.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Blue fluid from Lactarius indigo]]
''Lactarius indigo'' has a medium-sized cap, about two to six inches in diameter.[4] The original shape is dome-like but slightly flattens out with age. It has blue coloring, sometimes with dark blue rings, green bruises, or brown spots if it is older. If dried, ''Lactarius indigo'' can turn from blue to a more silvery color. The tops can feel sticky or slimy when fresh and young. The interior flesh is white but turns blue when exposed to the air, and eventually greenish; its taste ranges from mild to acrid.
The gills are blue and attached to the stem, or slightly below it. They may be a different shade of blue than the cap, or have a yellow color if it is older. If cut, the gills will release a few drops of blue fluid that later turn green. The spores are cream-colored and broadly ellipsoid with tiny lumps and lines.
The stem is short, blue, and typically has shallow pothole-like pits. Like the cap, the gills are sticky or slimy to the touch. Occasionally the stems are hollow. [1]
== Habitat and Range ==
[[File:2012-09-05 Lactarius indigo (Schwein.) Fr 313032.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Group of Lactarius indigo]]
Although ''Lactarius indigo'' is not common, it is widespread in distribution; it grows in eastern North America, East Asia, Central America, and southern France.[4] In the northern hemisphere, ''Lactarius indigo'' grows during the wet season between June and September.[3] It is capable of fruiting alone or in groups across a wide range of habitats. [1]
== Ecological Significance ==
Mycorrhizal associations with oaks and pines allow for beneficial symbiotic relationships.[1] This relationship allows for the exchange of minerals and nutrients between the fungus and the host. ''Lactarius indigo'' may be of use in future reforestation efforts because of its ability to form ectomycorrhizal interactions. [3]
== Uses==
===Edibility===
[[File:081117 hongos.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Lactarius indigo and other edible mushrooms for sale at a market]]
''Lactarius indigo'' is edible and has a taste similar to portobello but with a much grainier and crumblier texture. It can be eaten fresh, grilled, put into soups, or dried. Its blue color elevates the appearance of any dish it is put in and is the main reason it is sought after. [4]
===Antimicrobial properties===
One study supports the idea that Lactarius indigo has antibacterial [[properties]]. When tested with different bacteria, Lactarius indigo was found to inhibit the proliferation of some pathogenic bacteria. Although no definite conclusion was reached, it is possible that Lactarius indigo has medicinal properties. [3]
===Medicinal dye===
Due to the bold blue color of ''Lactarius indigo'', a fluorescent dye can be made and possibly used in the medical field for diagnostic purposes. Azulene, the blue chemical that is found in Lactarius indigo, has been manipulated to create AzuFlour; a new family of molecules. These molecules could be used as a probe in the human body in the future. [2]
== References ==
[1] Collins, A. 2021, May 26. Lactarius indigo: The Indigo Milk Cap Identification and info. https://healing-mushrooms.net/indigo-milk-cap.

[2] Just, V. 2019, December 17. Blue mushroom dye used to develop new fluorescent tool for cell biologists. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2019-12-blue-mushroom-dye-fluorescent-tool.html.

[3] Leigh, T. 2020. Lactarius indigo. https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Lactarius_Indigo#:~:text=The%20mushroom%20of%20L.,spherical%20in%20shape%20%5B3%5D.

[4] Sargent, C. 2021. Species of the week: Lactarius indigo. https://www.oneearth.org/species-of-the-week-lactarius-indigo/.

[5] Volk, T. 2000. Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for June 2000. https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/june2000.html.

2023-03-31T18:51:16Z

Showard8:

2023-03-11T02:39:30Z

Showard8:

''Osmunda cinnamomea'', more commonly known as the Cinnamon [[fern]], is a deciduous perennial fern [4]. It looks very similar to the Interrupted, Royal, and Sensitive ferns because of its composition, but using the reproductive fronds you can tell them apart [1]. The Cinnamon fern has cinnamon-colored fiddleheads specially used for reproduction, and that's where it gets its name [1].
[[File:CinnamonfernClump.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Photo of a grouping of Cinnamon Ferns.]]

== Taxonomy ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width:80%;"
|+ Cinnamon Fern Taxonomy
|-
|
! scope="row" | Kingdom
! scope="row" | Phylum
! scope="row" | Class
! scope="row" | Order
! scope="row" | Family
! scope="row" | Genus
|-
! scope="col" | Classification
| Plantae
| Filicinophyta
| Filicopsida
| Filicales
| Osmundaceae
| Osmunda
|}
== Description ==

Cinnamon ferns have long green fronds that are typically 2-3' in length but can reach up to 6' [5]. The blades of these fronds are pinnate, which means they share a common axis from which the pinna or the leaflets will grow [1]. Leaflets are deeply lobed, come to a point, and are about ten inches in length [1]. This fern likes to grow in groups or clumps in very moist environments [5]. During the spring, spore-bearing fronds will develop on this plant, these are known as "fiddleheads" [5]. These fiddleheads emerge from the base of the fern for reproduction [5]. Fiddleheads on Cinnamon ferns are anywhere from 2-4' long, are very stiff, and have a yellow-greenish color [5]. On the outside of these reproductive fronds, there are small cinnamon-colored balls. These are their sori and sporangium [3].
[[File:FernDiagram.gif|300px|thumb|right|Anatomical Diagram of a Fern.]]
[[File:CinnamonfernFiddlehead.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Photo of Cinnamon Fern Fiddlehead.]]

== Reproduction ==

During the springtime, ferns will produce fertile fronds known as "fiddleheads" [5]. These fiddleheads are covered with sori and have the sole purpose of reproduction [1]. This fern becomes fertile in May and ends its reproductive period in June [4]. Ferns reproduce differently from other plants; they have a sporophytic life cycle [2]. First, the sporangium from a mature adult plant will open and release the egg and hopefully get find male sori to start the germination process [2]. After the first fertilization, the zygote begins to become a gametophyte/Prothallium. Once the Prothallium has matured it will undergo a second fertilization [2]. This second fertilization will mark the beginning of the Cinnamon ferns' journey to maturity and the cycle can begin again [2].

[[File:Fernlifecycle.jpg|120px|thumb|right|Diagram of a fern's life cycle.]]

== Range and Habitat ==

Cinnamon ferns are primarily found in the Eastern United States and Canada, although have been found in gulf coast states, like New Mexico [1]. Like all ferns, the Cinnamon fern likes very moist, acidic, and shady soils [1]. This plant typically likes wetland environments such as swamps, marshes, and wet forests [1]. This plant is slow to establish itself, but once it does it is long-lived [5]. If the [[soil]] becomes too dry this fern may go dormant until conditions are moist again [5].

== Uses ==

The Cinnamon fern is not used as a food source by any wildlife, but it does have uses. Parts of this fern are used by Warblers and hummingbirds for their nests [1]. Brown Thrashers and Veeries are reported to live in the base of this fern and claim it as their nest [1]. In the past Cinnamon ferns have been used by the Abnaki and Menominee Native Americans for food and medicinal purposes [1]. They used a concoction of root material and rubbed it into affected joints to relieve pain [1].

== References ==

[1] Adirondack Ferns: Cinnamon Fern | Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. (n.d.). . https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-ferns-cinnamon-fern-osmundastrum-cinnamomeum.html.

[2] Australian National Botanic Gardens, P. A. (n.d.). Growing ferns from spores - Australian Plant Information. https://www.anbg.gov.au/ferns/fern.spore.prop.html#:~:text=Ferns%20do%20not%20flower%20but,shaped%20plants%20known%20as%20prothalli.

[3] Cinnamon Fern & Interrupted Fern | Mountain Lake Biological Station, U.Va. (n.d.). . https://mlbs.virginia.edu/organism/cinnamon-interrupted-ferns#:~:text=Besides%20sexual%20reproduction%2C%20the%20ferns,cinnamon%20%E2%80%9Cfruiting%20bodies%E2%80%9D).

[4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). . https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OSCI.

[5] Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (Cinnamon Fern) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). . https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/osmundastrum-cinnamomeum/.