A close reading of these examples shows that—even though modern usage sometimes embraces “mushroom” as an earthy, muted hue—the term in the provided literary excerpts is almost exclusively employed in its literal or metaphorical sense rather than as a descriptor of color. None of the cited passages use “mushroom” to signify a particular chromatic quality; instead, we see it invoked to name actual fungi, designate culinary ingredients, or illustrate social metaphors (as in [1] with its “mushroom aristocracy” or in [2] describing a “mushroom existence”). In this body of work, the appellation “mushroom” remains firmly rooted in its natural and symbolic functions rather than serving as a color term in the literary imagination.