The Devil’s Cigar

The Devil's Cigar mushroom not only has a catchy name, but because of where it grows in the world, it has also presented scientists with a challenge. Japan and Texas both have the mushroom. Moreover, a handful have been discovered in Oklahoma. This is a rather strange anomaly because the Japanese and Texan forms appear to have genetically parted from one another some 19 million years ago.

It is unknown how or why these mushrooms can only grow in those locations. While the Texas type does not, the Japanese version has demonstrated some aptitude for indoor cultivation and growth. As they are not edible, it is unlikely that anyone ever tried to cultivate a crop of them; also, it would have been 19 million years ago, when nobody would have been alive. Although Japan and Texas are separated by an ocean and approximately the same latitude, there are 11,000 miles between them.