An Australian woman has stunned Kiwi and Aussie mushroom fans with a fungus that turns blue when broken in half.
Sophie Brugliera and her partner discovered the bolete fungi in Melbourne at the weekend and filmed the moment the flesh of the mushroom turned blue when she broke it in half.
Brugliera had seen similar videos on social media before but told Newshub to have it happen in her hands was "mesmerising".
Brugliera shared the video to a New Zealand and Australian fungus Facebook page where it was described as "amazing".
"My partner and I keep watching the video to relive the magic, so I knew I had to share the video on social media for others to also appreciate."
Newshub shared the video with Manaaki Whenua landcare research fungal scientist Peter Buchanan. He said the bluing reaction is biochemistry at work.
"There is a particular compound within the cells, that when you break the cells this compound is exposed to oxygen, and the reaction that occurs is that it forms a compound that is blue."
Brugliera found the mushroom not too far from Melbourne's CBD and Buchanan says that's because this particular mushroom would be an "introduced species".
"It's likely to be growing with introduced trees."
He said the bolete fungi are a group of mushrooms that form an association with the roots of certain trees.
Buchanan added this particular mushroom has nothing to do with magic mushrooms and reminded those who forage to stay safe.
"If the question was edibility, you don't risk eating something unless you know what it is and that it is edible before even trying it."
Brugliera encourages others to go outside "and explore the wonders of the mushrooms that grow in their local areas".
