Amethyst Deceiver

Laccaria amethystina, commonly known as the Amethyst Deceiver is a small brightly colored, edible mushroom, that grows in both coniferous, and deciduous woods, or forests.

The cap is 1–6 cm in diameter, and is initially convex, later flattening, and often with a central depression. When moist it is a deep purplish lilac, which fades upon drying out. It is sometimes slightly scurfy at the center, and has pale striations at the margin. The stem is the same colour as the cap, and has whitish fibrils at the base, which become mealy at the top. The flesh is without a distinctive taste or smell, and is thin, with pale lilac coloration. The gills are colored as the cap, often quite distantly-spaced, and are dusted by the white spores; their attachment to the stem is sinuate—having a concave indentation before attaching to the stem.

Amethyst Deceiver is a common species in most temperate zones of Europe, Asia, Central, South, and North America. It grows solitary to scattered with both deciduous and coniferous trees, and is mycorrhizal with these. It appears in late summer to early winter.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laccaria_amethystina - 15.06.2010