# Blue Pinkgill (*Entoloma hochstetteri*)

The Blue Pinkgill is a small mushroom with a bright blue to pink color. It’s a treasure for mushroom hunters who explore the woods!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands and meadows
- **Also known as:** Hochstetter's Blue Pinkgill

![Blue Pinkgill](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426697/objects/5140.jpg)

## Appearance

The Blue Pinkgill is easily recognized by its vibrant indigo-blue cap, which can fade slightly with age, and its distinctive pink gills. Its slender blue stem, sometimes tinged white, supports the striking cap. This brilliant coloration makes it stand out vividly against the forest floor.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Entolomataceae
- **Genus:** Entoloma

## Interesting facts

- Even the tiny spores are pink, which gives its gills their characteristic rosy hue.
- It's the national fungus of New Zealand and even appeared on a postage stamp!
- Its striking blue color comes from special pigments called azulenes, rare in fungi.
- The scientific name honors a German geologist who explored New Zealand.

## Special abilities

- **Natural Colorizer:** Blue Pinkgill has unique azulene pigments that give it its vibrant blue hue, making it an eye-catching forest inhabitant.
- **Spore Dispersal Expert:** Blue Pinkgill can release thousands of tiny pink spores from its gills, carried by wind to new locations to grow.
- **Forest Floor Recycler:** Blue Pinkgill can break down dead leaves and wood, returning vital nutrients to the soil for other plants to use.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-10 cm
- **Edible:** poisonous
- **Size:** 2-8 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Summer, fall
- **Spore Color:** Pink

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** Black Beech (*Nothofagus solandri*) — Decomposes its fallen leaves and wood for nutrients.
- **Depends on:** Tawa (*Beilschmiedia tawa*) — Breaks down leaf litter and woody debris from this tree.
- **Eaten by:** New Zealand Leaf-veined slug (*Athoracophorus bitentaculatus*) — Provides a potential food source for native fungivorous slugs.

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Blue Pinkgill?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Blue Pinkgill?

5-10 cm

### Is Blue Pinkgill edible?

poisonous

### How big is Blue Pinkgill?

2-8 cm

### Where is Blue Pinkgill usually found?

Grasslands and meadows

### What does Blue Pinkgill grow on?

soil

### When is Blue Pinkgill in season?

Summer, fall

### What color are Blue Pinkgill spores?

Pink

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Blue Pinkgill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-pinkgill)