Blue Mushrooms

Psychedelic fungus

Blue mushrooms are grown and harvested near the Green River marshes of Azoturia. They are prized by the mystics of Azoturia for their profound psychedelic effects. The common vernacular name for the Blue Mushroom is "Boom."

Basic Information

Anatomy

Blue Mushrooms have a long cap and a short white stem. Their blue colouring looks like a glossy reflective varnish. The dorsal surface underneath the cap is ridged with gill-like lamellae.

Genetics and Reproduction

Booms reproduce through the spreading of mycelial spore blooms.

Growth Rate & Stages

Taking two years to mature, Blue Mushrooms grow very slowly. Most of their development occurs beneath the soil and when they mature they simply spring to the surface of the ground as fully-formed, capped mushrooms. Because they spread through underground networks of mycelial spore matter, Blue Mushrooms have a tendency to spring and appear unexpectedly and in unlikely places.

Ecology and Habitats

Blue Mushrooms are an ectomycorrhizal species that entwines itself with the nutritive systems of other living plants. They thrive in moist, plant-rich environments and develop symbiotically with surrounding plant roots, stems, and leaves. The moderate warm temperatures of the Azoturian marshes are perfect for growing Booms and harvesters constantly scour the swamps for samples.

Additional Information

Domestication

Some greenhouses have been built to experiment with planned cultivation and harvesting of Blue Mushrooms but these efforts have not been very successful.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The psychedelic properties of the Booms makes them a precious resource for the mystic schools of Azoturia. The caps are dried and ingested directly or they are steeped in boiling water to make a distinctive, chestnut-scented blue tea. Both of these methods of enteral ingestion produce psychosensory hallucinations, which the Azoturian mystics consider to be holy visions.

Scientific Name

Ascomycota