Unlocking the Secrets of the Texas Star
5-Year Anniversary Research Initiative
This year marks the 5-year anniversary of the Texas Star (Chorioactis geaster) being named our official state mushroom. To celebrate, the community is launching a groundbreaking research project with mycologist Liz Bowman from the University of Texas at Austin to map its true range, better understand its ecology, and explore its mysterious origins.
Despite its iconic status, much about the Texas Star remains a mystery, including where it occurs and how it interacts with its environment. With your help—through observations, collections, and shared knowledge—we can begin to answer these questions and reveal what this remarkable fungus can teach us.
Get Involved: Help Us Study the Texas Star
Want to contribute to real mycological research? Whether you're a hiker, landowner, or mushroom enthusiast, your observations and collections can help unlock the mysteries of Chorioactis geaster.
Here’s how you can help:
🔍 Find & Photograph – Use our field guide to safely locate the Texas Star. Upload your sighting to iNaturalist.
📦 Collect & Submit – If you're experienced and have landowner permission, you can ethically collect a small specimen and mail it to the UT Fungarium for DNA analysis. (See form for mailing instructions.)
🧑🔬 Volunteer – Sign-up to join future lab days at UT Austin Brackenridge Field Lab to help process samples, log data, or curate the fungarium collection.
🌱 Share Your Land – If you own property where Texas Stars grow, especially outside of the range of where it has been already observed, consider allowing a research visit from the local mycology.
Support Texas Mycology
Your gift directly funds DNA sequencing, field surveys, documentation, and lab work to map the mushroom. Help us map the unknown.
Field Guide to Finding the Texas Star
Curious where to look? Read our downloadable community guide for habitat tips, seasonality (fall through early spring), and how to identify Chorioactis geaster without disturbing its growth.
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