Colorado designates new official state mushroom

Colorado designates new official state mushroom

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed a bill designating the Agaricus julius mushroom as the official state mushroom. The Emperor mushroom is edible and native to high-elevation spruce-fir forests, and is saprobic, meaning it decomposes dead or decaying organic material, recycling nutrients and reducing wildfire fuel loads. The mushroom was first identified by scientists in Colorado in 2016 and is commonly referred to as "the Emperor formerly…