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Colorado has a state mushroom and it plays off the artist formerly known as Prince theme

Colorado has a state bird, animal, tree, fish, flower, fossil and now a state mushroom. Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Monday proclaiming Agaricus julius, or the "Emperor formerly known as Prince" mushroom, as the state mushroom, according to a news release from the governor's office. Colorado becomes the eighth state to declare an official state mushroom. The bill's state fiscal impact shows the designation will cost the state $0, a meaningful number given legislators are wrestling with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. According to a story in Colorado Politics, a civics teacher at Horizon High School (Thornton) and former president of the Colorado Mycological Society worked with students and a team of mycologists to select it as the top contender for the state's mushroom. The bill passed the House with 55 yes votes, eight no votes and two absentia. It passed the Senate 30-4. According to the bill, the edible mushroom Agaricus julius was originally mistaken for its close relative Agaricus augustus, or "The Prince mushroom." In 2016, scientists identified Agaricus julius as a distinct species. Get it? It can be found in the mountainous spruce-fir forests of Colorado growing scattered or in small groups and can be harvested in late summer and early fall. It is a saprobic mushroom, meaning it decomposes dead or decaying organic material, and has a large cap adorned with brown scales and an odor and taste reminiscent of almonds. "Our state mushroom has coloring similar to a portobello, a cherry-almond aroma and it's delicious," Polis said in the release. Agaricus julius is an edible mushroom prized by chefs for its taste and not for its psilocin, the chemical found in "magic mushrooms," a group of hallucinogen, or psychedelic, mushrooms. In 2022, Colorado was among the first states to legalize the use of medicinal and functional mushrooms. Jake Plummer, former Denver Broncos quarterback, was among the more famous supporters of the measure. He has co-founded a Colorado-based mushroom supplement company. These are in addition to the state flag, songs, seal and tartans: Amphibian: Western tiger salamander Animal: Bighorn sheep Bird: Lark bunting Cactus: Claret cup Dance: Folk/square Fish: Greenback cutthroat trout Flag: State flag Flower: Columbine Fossil: Stegosaurus Gemstone: Aquamarine Grass: Blue grama Insect: Colorado hairstreak Mineral: Rhodochrosite Pets (domestic): Cats and dogs Reptile: Western painted turtle Rock: Yule marble Summer sport: Pack burro racing Tree: Colorado blue spruce Winter sport: Skiing/snowboarding This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado new state mushroom has Prince, not Jake Plummer, theme to it