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Golden llao llao balls on a southern beech branch
Edibleintermediate

Llao Llao

Cyttaria hariotii / Pan del indio

Golden, pitted balls that grow from galls on southern beech branches in Patagonia.

Photo: Bob, CC BY
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

Collect only fresh, firm balls, and leave galls intact.

Season
Southern spring, about October to December
Habitat
Branches of southern beech (Nothofagus) in Chile and Argentina
Underside
No gills or pores; spores form in pits over the surface
Spore evidence
Not usually taken; spores form in surface pits

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
518
People who recorded it
367
Most records (southern hemisphere)
Nov–Dec
Records span
1994–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

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Lookalikes to rule out

Darwin's fungus

harmless

Cyttaria darwinii is similar and also traditionally eaten.

Empty galls

harmless

Old woody galls remain after fruiting and are not food.

Other orange fungi

caution

Any orange ball on the ground rather than attached to a beech gall needs other identification.

Identification

Llao llao forms golf-ball-sized, orange to cream spheres covered in shallow pits, attached to woody galls on southern beech branches. The flesh is gelatinous and sweet. It fruits in spring.

Uses and ecology

Cyttaria are parasites of Nothofagus trees, causing the woody galls. Llao llao has been eaten by Indigenous peoples of Patagonia, including the Mapuche, and is used in fermented drinks.

Memorable fact

Charles Darwin collected a related species in Tierra del Fuego during the Beagle voyage, and it was later named Cyttaria darwinii.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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