Identifying Wood Blewits (Lepista nuda)

Take great care when identifying wild plants and fungi, this blog is not a resource to be taken by itself and further resources will be linked. Consult other sources and double check. While foraging is an extremely rewarding and useful skill, numerous common plants and fungi can make you sick or kill you. Be absolutely sure of what you’re eating and, when gathering, ensure you leave enough not only to ensure the survival and growth of the species but also enough for others to enjoy, from the human and more-than-human communities. Also cultivate an awareness of contamination and pollution – wastewater runoff, spraying, exhaust fumes – as this should affect your decision to harvest.

The Mushroom

Lepista nuda (also known as Clitocybe nuda) is an edible species of mushroom native to North America and Europe. Lepista means wine pitcher or goblet and refers to the concave caps of these mushrooms when they are fully mature, nuda refers to the nude colour of it’s cap. This mushroom is commonly known as wood blewits referring to it being found in the woods and the fact that it is a blueish colour. Blewits are saprophytic, consuming decaying organic matter for nutrients.

Description

This species has a nude brown or violet-tinged cap, lilac gills, and a white/violet stipe (stem). The cap is smooth and flat when young and becomes concave when older (the cap shouldn’t be gelatinous or sticky), the gills are crowded and end abruptly at the stipe, and the stipe is solid and generally short. The mushroom can measure from 6 to 15cm in diameter and 5 to 10cm tall, older mushrooms will have a wavy edge unlike younger ones. Wood blewits produce a white or pink spore print. The texture is similar to a button mushroom and are full of water when cooked (and are usually slimy in a pleasant way). Lepista nuda will often grow in fairy rings or loose arcs and some grow very tightly together. The wood blewit scent is said to be that of frozen orange juice and I would agree!

Ecology

Lepista nuda grows on leaf litter in woodlands and in fields of grass. They like the cold and can survive frost so this fungus is typically fruiting Autumn through Winter in New Zealand.

Nutritional/Medicinal Information

There is not a lot of nutritional information on the wood blewit but mushrooms are, in general, a healthy, wholefood with low calories and no cholesterol. Wood blewits have high amounts of vitamin B1 (thiamin) which can prevent beriberi (a disease caused by B1 deficiency) and contains antioxidants and selenium which help to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. A decoction using wood blewits has been used to treat abscesses and wounds.

Possible Lookalikes

Lepista nuda could be confused with fungi members of the Cortinarius species, though all of these species have brown/rust coloured spores and smell unpleasant. Cortinarius species generally have the remains of their veil under their caps and their gills tend to be brown.

Interesting Facts

Wood blewits have been used as a dye to produce a grass-green colour.

In Australia the males of a species of bird (satin bowerbirds) collect blue items to decorate their nests with. A young male was sighted decorating with wood blewits!

Storage & Cooking

Lepista nuda must be cooked before eating otherwise it may result in an upset stomach and allergic responses. Though some more sensitive people may experience an allergic reaction from the cooked mushrooms also. It is best to try a small amount first.

You can dry wood blewit mushrooms in a dehydrator or oven. Lay out a single layer of mushrooms on a baking tray, fan bake at 70 degrees Celsius with the oven door slightly ajar until dry and crispy. This will take a few hours. Store in a dry, air-tight jar whole or blend into a mushroom powder. To rehydrate just cover mushrooms with boiling water and allow to absorb for 20-30 minutes.

Wood blewits tend to be full of water which may need to be cooked off, and may be slightly slimy when cooked. This fungi is a great alternative to button and Portobello mushrooms and is great in bolognese, lasagna, pies, stews, or crumbed as a kind of mushroom schnitzel. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Further Reading