Calling all rare mushroom enthusiasts! If you’re like me and enjoy seeking out the most unique things the natural world has to offer, you’ll definitely want to hear about this fungus. Like something out of a sci-fi movie, a mushroom that makes a hissing sound and releases a smoky cloud of spores has been spotted at Inks Lake State Park in Burnet. The fungus almost exclusively grows in Texas, and it’s one of the rarest mushrooms on earth. Here’s everything you need to know about this rare mushroom in Texas:

Did you know Texas has an official state mushroom? Chorioactis geaster, also known as the Texas star mushroom (or the "Devil's Cigar, depending on who you're talking to), is one of the world's rarest mushrooms, having only elsewhere been spotted in Oklahoma and Japan.
Wikimedia Commons/This image was created by user Mason Lalley (Tootybooty) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.You can contact this user here. - This image is Image Number 300617 at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images., CC BY-SA 3.0
The mushroom grows on the stumps of either cedar elms (in Texas) or oaks (in Japan). It is nicknamed the "Texas Star" because its fruit body splits open into a star-like formation with anywhere from four to seven segments. It also makes a hissing sound and releases a smoky cloud of spores!
Wikimedia Commons/Tim Jones - http://www.groundtruthinvestigations.org
Chorioactis geaster is found primarily in the central and northern areas of the state. The mushroom was first spotted in Austin in 1893, and in 1937, it was discovered in Kyushu, Japan.
Wikimedia Commons/By Sasata - File:Texas counties blank map.png (original map); Ubelaker JE, Starks JK. (2005). "A new record of the Devil's Cigar, Chorioactis geaster (Pezizales: Ascomycota), from Collin County, Texas". SIDA Contributions to Botany 21 (3): 1939–40.; Rudy KC, Keller HW. (1996). "The rare and fascinating Devil's Cigar, Chorioactis geaster". Mycologist 10 (1): 33–35., CC BY-SA 3.0

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Undergoing quite a transformation from the beginning to the end of its life cycle, the mushroom hardly resembles a star in its immature fruiting body state. The fruit body remains closed until just before spore discharge, which occurs when cells within the mushroom swell up against the interior walls, eventually exerting enough pressure to cause it to split open.
Wikimedia Commons/TXPhilistine - https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/2n5wdq/podlike_thing_growing_vertically_with_top_about/
If you're interested in seeing the Texas star mushroom for yourself, Inks Lake State Park in Burnet is a good bet.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
The fungus was first spotted in the park in February 2023. Luckily, Chorioactis geaster is not poisonous (but it isn't edible, either).
Facebook/Inks Lake State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

Visit the Inks Lake State Park Facebook page for more information about the Texas star mushroom.

Have you ever seen this rare mushroom in Texas? If so, tell us about your experience in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article to learn why Inks Lake State Park is one of the best camping destinations in Texas.

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Featured Addresses
Inks Lake State Park, Park Road 4 West, Burnet, TX, USA