![]() They most likely colonised the mountains with north-temperate oak and alder when the Andes rose rapidly, a relatively short geological time ago. Species from the Andes, in turn, are only distantly related to those of lowland South America. This indicates that their ancestors most likely crossed the Atlantic ocean, potentially as spores or attached to the roots of rafting trees. We also showed that some South American species split from African relatives only very recently. ![]() This means that species migration, perhaps involving both trees and their fungal partners, could have occurred through areas such as Greenland, now covered in ice. This was a time when warm and humid climates extended across much of the now-temperate zone. Additionally, many milk cap mushrooms have been shown to be sources of naturally occurring rubber. Lactarius indigo, commonly known as the indigo milk cap, indigo milky, the indigo (or blue) lactarius, or the blue milk mushroom, is a species of agaric. We found that the group as a whole most likely has a tropical African origin, despite most species now occurring in the north-temperate zone.įrom Africa, some lineages of Russulaceae spread to the Neotropics over 40 million years ago. Milk cap mushrooms (in the genera Lactarius and Lactifluus) form important associations with various tree species, and the value of these mushrooms to wildlife (specifically to animals and insects) is high. Through the tropical north, across the ocean and up the mountainsīy combining all these data, we were able to estimate when and where different groups within the Russulaceae family evolved. One particular type of this symbiosis, ectomycorrhiza, mainly involves trees. While more common in the temperate zone, it is also found in tropical areas but still insufficiently studied there. For example, certain groups associate with the roots of trees and provide them with nutrients in a symbiosis called mycorrhiza. This, however, means a big part of natural diversity is missing, the “forgotten kingdom”: fungi.įungi perform key roles in the world’s ecosystems. Most research in this area has focused on plants and animals. They do this by analysing their DNA and studying the evolutionary relationships between species. Scientists want to understand whether most of these species evolved recently or a long time ago, whether they originated in the place they are found or if they moved in from other areas, and how these dynamics differ from other regions. This area harbours an exceptional number of species and understanding this diversity has been a key challenge of evolutionary biology. People have made vinaigrette's out of them, battered and fried/baked, grilled, & sauteed.The vast tropical part of the Americas is called the “Neotropics”. You can find a lot of wild foraging blogs featuring Indigo Milk Cap online. In Costa Rica, the species forms associations with several native oaks of the genus Quercus. In Mexico, associations have been noted with Mexican alder, American Hornbeam, American Hophornbeam, and Liquidambar macrophylla, while in Guatemala the mushroom associates with smooth-bark Mexican pine and other pine and oak species. Like all fungus, Lactarius Indigo builds relationships with certain trees. It The milk, or latex, that oozes when the mushroom tissue is cut or broken - a feature common to all members of the genus Lactarius - is also indigo blue, but slowly turns green upon exposure to air. Lactarius Indigo is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae. Most commonly the mushroom is noted for its mild, sweet and nutty flavor with a hint of cracked pepper on the finish. The flavor of Indigo Milk Caps is supposed to vary more than other mushrooms, depending on the trees they’re associating with, the soil and other aspects of their growing environment. This edible mushroom grows naturally in eastern North America, East Asia, and Central America it has also been reported in southern France.
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