Rare mushroom discovered near Brownsville

Avid mushroom hunters in White County come across edible finds all the time, but for Peyton Turrentine, his recent find in a woods near Brownsville marked a unique experience.

Tammy Knox Of The Carmi Times

Avid mushroom hunters in White County come across edible finds all the time, but for Peyton Turrentine, his recent find in a woods near Brownsville marked a unique experience. Peyton found a Lions Mane mushroom, which is considered to be a gourmet item, presenting a seafood-like taste.

"Peyton found the Lions Man mushroom on a tree," said Sheila Turrentine, Peyton's mother. "It was the size of a paper plate and tasted pretty good. We cut it into one-inch thick mushroom steaks and poached it in butter. They are not very common to southern Illinois and are considered one of the most desired gourmet wild mushrooms because they taste slightly reminiscent of crab or lobster meat."

Lions Mane mushrooms are visually enticing as well. The cap is a large clump of teeth, which string down like a mane, or as some describe, like tiny icicles from a snowball. They appear during autumn and may endure moderate frosts. The wood decomposing fungi are easily identified and at least four different species exist in Illinois.

The Lion's Mane mushroom is also proving to have medicinal value through continued medical studies. According to mushroom-appreciation.com, the mushroom has nerve regenerating properties, which stimulate nerve growth and aid cognitive impairments, which could be essential in the future treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson's Disease and other neurological conditions.

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