As we were hiking through a piney wood near the end of our Marble Rock hike, I noticed a couple of mushrooms tucked into the pine needles. What caught my eye was a glimpse of mauve blue. It seemed odd, on an otherwise unremarkable mushroom, and I stopped to take a closer look. I photographed the fungi for later identification purposes.
When out hiking, we try to follow the old adage “Tread lightly, take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill only time”. I gently lifted the mushroom cap, attempting to see what sort of a stem it had without disturbing it, but the cap popped off and fell upside-down on the forest floor. I was startled to see a blue liquid leaking from the gills and broken stem. Not pale blue, not watery blue, but bright, vivid blue!
It’s distinctive colouring made this mushroom easy to identify when I got home: Indigo Milk Cap, or Lactarius indigo. Lactarius species are called ‘milk mushrooms’ because when they are cut they bleed a latex-like fluid. The colour of the latex, and whether it changes colour as it oxidizes, helps to identify different species. There are a number of lactarius species that are common and widespread. Lactarius indigo is listed as widespread, but not common, in Ontario. It fruits on the ground in woods. Truly, it is the blue-blood of mushrooms!
Willow House Chronicles 
Is there any other aspect of life except Nature in which, no matter how long we’ve been observing it, we can still be sock-popping astonished? Thank you for giving me a great start to my day. Fountain-pen blue latex-oozing mushrooms, really, what next?
It is indeed my pleasure to worship at the feet of the best…….you are just amazing and always so purely a teacher. Thank you, thank you for this lovely science lesson. I read it twice and am now off to find out even more about this wonder of nature. You are such a gift!!
Gayle, I blush. But thank you, glad you enjoy my musings.
Dandy, you’re right. Nature is marvelous.
That is so cool! Blue-oozing mushrooms!