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Mushrooms to Dye For

The following fungi have been tested and found to be useful for dyeing protein-based fibers. Those with stars (**) are especially sought after. Others will impart a color, but may not make strong or deep colors.

Note: some of these colors would require mordants no longer considered safe to use.

Amylocystis lapponica —  pinkish beiges and browns
Anthracophyllum lateritium — black
Apiosporina morbosa — greyish beige, various browns
Astraeus pteridis — various light browns
Bankera
carnosa — See violacens.
fuligineo-alba — light golden brown (with copper)
violascens — light beiges, greys and greens
Boletellus mirabilis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
Boletopsis
**grisea (AA) — green, grey-green, blue-green
subsquamosa — dark greens, black
Boletinellus merulioides — browns, orange
Boletus
aerius — See regineus.
badius — See Royoporus badius.
carminiporus — yellow-greens, yellows, brownish orange
edulis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
ferrugineus (spadiceus) — beiges, golds and light browns
hypocarycinus — See Suillus hypocarycinus.
illudens — See Suillelius illudens.
luridiformis — See Neoboletus luridiformis.
miniato-olivaceus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
mirabilis — See Boletellus mirabilis.
paluster — browns, orange
piperatus — See Chalciporus piperatus.
projectellus — yellows, oranges and browns
regineus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
rubripes — See Caloboletus rubripes.
sensibilis — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
spadiceus — See ferrugineus.
speciosus var. brunneus — See Butryboletus brunneus.
subvelutipes — beiges and light browns
tenax— beiges and golds
zelleri — See Xerocomellus zelleri.
Byssomerulios incarnatus — pinkish beiges, browns
Butryboletus brunneus — yellows, browns, oranges and olive greens
Caloboletus rubripes — beiges and light browns
Chalciporus
piperatus — various browns
rubinellus — browns
Chroogomphus
jamaicensis — various browns
rutilus — various browns and orange
vinicolor — various browns
Clavariadelphus
americanus — beige, light green, light yellow, greyish purple
ligula — beige, light green, light brown, greyish purple
occidentalis — grey, beige, brown, purple
pistillaris — See americanus.
truncatus — beiges, greyish purple
Collybia
acervata — See Connopus acervatus.
iocephala — See Gymnopus iocephalus.
Connopus acervatus — beiges, yellow, brown
Coprinellus micaceus — beiges
Coprinopsis atramentaria — beige
Coprinus
atramentarius — See Coprinopsis atramentaria.
micaceus — See Coprinellus micaceus.
Cortinarius
armillatus — beiges
badius — beiges, browns
bolaris — browns, greens
brunneus — beiges
californicus — pinks and purples
cinnamomeus — browns
corrugatus — beiges and yellows
croceofolius — See malicorius.
croceus — browns and golds
herpeticus — See scaurus.
limonius — yellows, oranges, browns
malicorius — oranges
**marylandensis — reds, purples
neosanguineus — reds (AA)
phoeniceus var. occidentalis — oranges, reds, purples
**sanguineus — oranges, reds, browns, purples
**semisanguineus — reds and purples
scaurus — yellows, beiges
smithii — reds, orange, violet (AA)
tubarius — beiges, orange, browns
violaceus— greys, light browns
whiteae — yellows, oranges, browns
Cystostereum murrayi — beiges, pinks
Daedalea quercina — beiges, light brown
Daedaleopsis confragosa— beiges, light brown
Daldinia
**concentrica — brown
**grandis — greens, brown
Dibotryon morbosum — See Apiosporina morbosum.
Echinodontium tinctorium — oranges, browns, purples
Fistulina hepatica — beiges, browns
Flammulina velutipes — beiges, light orange
Fomes
fasciatus— browns
fomentarius — browns, olive
Fuscoboletinus paluster — See Boletus paluster.
Ganoderma
applanatum — beiges, browns
curtisii — beiges, browns
tsugae — See Polyporus tsugae.
Gloeophyllum
sepiarium — beiges, golds, browns
trabeum — beiges, golds, browns
Gomphidius
glutinosus — browns
subroseus — beiges, browns
Gomphus clavatus — greyish purple (with iron)
Gymnopilus
junonius — yellow, orange, brown, olive
liquiritiae — golds, oranges, browns
luteofolius — yellow, orange, brown, olive
luteus — yellow, orange, brown, olive
penetrans— gold, beige, orange, brown
sapineus — yellow, orange, brown
spectabilis — See junonius.
ventricosus — yellow, orange, brown
Gymnopus
acervatus — See Connopus acervatus.
iocephalus — blues, purples, grey
Gyrodon merulioides — See Boletinellus merulioides.
Gyromitra
esculenta — beiges, orange, brown
infula — beiges, orange, brown
Gyroporus cyanescens — light yellow, beige, orange, gold
**Hapalopilus nidulans (rutilans) — purples, brown
Hebeloma mesophaeum — beige, yellow
Hemistropharia albocrenulata — yellow, beige
**Hydnellum
aurantiacum — greys, greenish greys
caeruleum — blues (some greenish), olive
concrescens — browns
diabolus — See peckii.
peckii — blues (some greenish), olive
pineticola— greyish and bluish greens, gray, olive, greenish blue
regium — black and greys (some greenish)
scrobiculatum (var. zonatum) — See concrescens.
spongiosipes — blue, grey, olive
suaveolens — greenish blues and browns
Hydnum
fuligineoviolaceum — See Sarcodon fuligineoviolaceum.
imbricatum — See Sarcodon imbricatus.
subincarnatum — blues from bluish beige to bluish green
Hygrocybe conica — browns, greens
Hypholoma
aurantica — See Leratiomyces ceres.
lateritium — yellow, beige, gold, greenish brown
sublateritium — See lateritium.
Hypomyces lactifluorum — oranges (pinks and browns with high pH)
Inocybe angustispora — pinks, browns
Inonotus
**hispidus — golds, reddish browns, oranges
obliquus — browns
rheades — browns, orange
tomentosus — See Onnia tomentosa.
Ischnoderma
benzoinum — browns
resinosum — browns
Lacrymaria lacrymabunda — pinkish browns
Lentinus — See Lenzites.
Lenzites betulina — beiges, golds, browns
Leptoporus mollis — pinks, browns, red
Leratiomyces ceres — yellows, gold, olive, beige
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii — beige, yellow-brown, grey
Merulius
incarnates — See Byssomerulios incarnates.
tremellosus — pinkish beiges, browns
Neoboletus luridiformis — various beiges and browns
Naematoloma
aurantiacum — See Leratiomyces ceres.
sublateritium — See Hypholoma sublateritium.
Oligoporus sp. — See Postia sp.
Omphalotus olivascens — greyish purple, olive, blue-green, blackish brown
Onnia tomentosa — beige, browns, orange
Paxillus
**atrotomentosus — See Tapinella atrotomentosa.
involutus — pinkish and greenish browns
panuoides — See Tapinella panuoides.
Peniophora quercina — beiges, pinks
**Phaeolus schweinitzii — gold, orange, brown, olive
Phellinus
chrysoloma — golds, oranges, browns
everhartii — oranges, browns
gilvus — browns, oranges
robineae — oranges, browns
**Phellodon
alboniger — See melaleucus.
atratus— dark blues and greens, greenish blue
confluens — grey-browns, olive, bluish green
melaleucus — — bluish grey and green, blues (some greenish), olive
niger — greys, grey blue, grey green
tomentosus — browns, beige
Phlebia
incarnate — See Byssomerulios incarnate.
tremellosa — See Merulius tremellosus.
Pholiota
albocrenulata — See Hemistropharia albocrenulata.
aurivella — beiges, yellows, light brown
flammans— yellow, oranges, brown, olive
malicola — beiges, gold
squarrosa — beiges, gold
squarrosoides — yellow, browns, gold
velaglutinosa — yellow, oranges, browns
Phylloporus
leucomycelinus — beiges, gold
pelletieri — beiges, gold
rhodoxanthus — beiges, gold
**Pisolithus
arhizus — dark brown
tinctorius — See arhizus.
Polyozellus multiplex — greys (blue and green), moss-green
Polyporus
badius — beige, gold, olive
elegans — See leptocephalus.
leptocephalus — beige, gold, olive
melanopus — beige, browns
picipes — See varius.
tsugae — beiges, browns
varius — beige, gold, olive
Polyrhizum (geaster) — browns
Postia
caesia — beige, brown
fragilis — beige, greenish brown
Psathyrella velutina — See Lacrymaria lacrymabunda.
Pulveroboletus ravenelii — yellows, gold, olive
Pycnoporellus fulgens — beige, orange, light brown
Pycnoporus
cinnabarinus — See coccineus.
coccineus — light to medium golden brown
sanguineus — See coccineus.
Ramaria
abietina — beiges, grey
ochraceovirens — See abietina.
Royoporus badius — yellows, browns, oranges
Russula ventricosipes — light brownish orange, light yellow brown
**Sarcodon
fuligineoviolaceus — blues (greenish to grey)
fuscoindicus — blues (greenish to grey)
imbricatus — beige, grey-greens, bluish grey
joeides — beige, blue-greens, blue
scabrosus — beige, blue (some greenish)
subincarnatus — See Hydnum subincarnatum.
underwoodii — beige, blues, bluish green
Sarcodontia setosa — pinkish brown
Scleroderma
geaster — See Polyrhizum geaster.
macrorhizon — browns (pinkish)
meridionale — browns (pinkish)
polyrhizon — browns
Stereum
murrayi — beiges, pinks
tuberculosum — See Peniophora quercina.
Stropharia ambigua — greenish greys and browns
Suillelius illudens — beiges and golds
Suillus
americanus — beiges and browns
clintonianus — See grevillei.
cothurnatus — beige, brown, orange
granulatus — beige, brown, orange
grevillei — beige, browns, grey
hypocarycinus — various beiges and browns
Tapinella
**atrotomentosa — purple, olive, dark blue, dark brown
panuoides — purple grey, olive, greenish brown
Thelephora
anthocephala — browns, grey-greens, black
palmata — browns, grey-greens, black
terrestris — browns, grey-brown
vialis — greenish greys and blues, bluish greys, olive
Trametes
hirsuta — greys, blues, greens
pubescens — greys, blues, greens
versicolor (blue form only) — greys, blues, greens
Tricholoma vaccinum — beige, yellow, brown
Tricholomopsis rutilans — yellow-browns
Tylopilus
alboater — beige, browns from greenish to pinkish
atronicotianus — beige, browns from greenish to pinkish
Xerocomellus zelleri — yellows, oranges and browns

List and color information adapted from The Rainbow Beneath My Feet, by Arleen and Alan Bessette, (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2001). Names updated April 2015 per Index Fungorum and MushroomObserver with invaluable assistance from Debbie Viess, who also provided additions from Mycopigments, the website maintained by Alissa Allen (AA).

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