Milky Mushroom

Calocybe indica, commonly known as the milky white mushroom, is a species of edible mushroom native to India. The sturdy all-white mushrooms appear in summer after rainfall in fields and on road verges. Traditionally eaten in West Bengal, it is being grown commercially in several Indian states and other tropical countries.

The robust mushroom is all-white in colour and has a firm consistency. Its cap is 10 to 14 centimetres (4 to 5+1⁄2 in) across, convex initially before flattening out with age. The cuticle (skin) can be easily peeled off the cap. The crowded gills are white but gradually develop into brown with age, and the cylindrical stem is 10 centimetres (4 in) high with no ring nor volva. It has a subbulbous base, being 1.8 centimetres (3⁄4 in) wide at the apex (top), 3.5 centimetres (1+1⁄2 in) in the middle and 2.4 centimetres (1 in) wide at the base. The mushroom does not change colour on cutting or bruising, though old dried specimens have a buff colour. The flesh has a mild flavour that has been described as oily, and a faint smell reminiscent of radishes it tastes like an unripened coconut that which we can eat it without any cooking. The spore print is white, and the oval spores measure 5.9–6.8 μm long by 4.2–5.1 μm wide.