“Lilliputian mushroom” is a nickname, not a scientific name. It almost always refers to Lanmaoa asiatica, a red-capped bolete from the pine forests of Yunnan in south-west China. This page explains where the name comes from, what is actually for sale, and what buyers should know before ordering.
Where the name comes from
In Lilliput, the island in Gulliver’s Travels, the people are a few inches tall. Doctors use “lilliputian hallucinations” for a rare symptom in which people see small figures. Hospitals in Yunnan have reported this symptom in people who ate Lanmaoa asiatica raw or undercooked, and the nickname followed.
In the Cordillera of northern Luzon in the Philippines, a mushroom with similar reports is known locally as the “little people” mushroom. DNA studies later showed it is the same species as the Yunnan bolete.
Is it a “magic mushroom”?
No. Lanmaoa asiatica is a bolete, unrelated to psilocybin mushrooms. The compound responsible for the reported effects has not been identified. Researchers have isolated pyrrole and furan derivatives from it, but none has been shown to cause the symptom.
The reports describe a form of food poisoning from undercooked mushrooms, often with dizziness and nausea, and some patients needed hospital care. Thorough cooking prevents it, which is how the mushroom is eaten across Yunnan: stir-fried until cooked through.
What is for sale
We sell Lanmaoa asiatica as a culinary mushroom, to be cooked, and as research material for laboratories:
- Fresh, $46 per kg, during the rainy-season harvest (roughly June to September). Order on the Lanmaoa asiatica product page.
- Dried caps and slices, all year, quoted by grade and quantity. Request a quote.
- Authenticated research material with collection data and identification records, supplied to qualified institutions only. Request a research quote.
We do not sell it for recreational use, and we do not sell research material for consumption. Every pack carries cooking instructions.
Buying from other sellers
Listings for a “lilliputian mushroom” are often vague about what they contain. Before buying anywhere, ask for:
- The scientific name, Lanmaoa asiatica, on the invoice.
- Where and when it was harvested.
- How it was identified. Several red boletes that bruise blue are sold together in Yunnan markets.
Shipping and import
Online checkout ships to the United States. For other countries we check the import rules for wild fungi first, then quote; dried mushrooms can often go where fresh ones cannot. Details are in our shipping policy.
Related reading
- Lanmaoa asiatica for sale: how to buy it fresh, dried or for research
- Lanmaoa asiatica: what importers and researchers should know
- Lanmaoa asiatica grow kit: why there isn’t one
Information on this site describes our products for trade and culinary use. It is not medical advice, and we make no health claims for any product.