Emily Johnson
Amethyst mushrooms, also known as Amethyst Deceivers, are real. Scientifically known as Laccaria amethystina, they were first described in 1778 by the English botanist William Hudson. They are characterised by their deep purplish lilac colour, which fades to pale brown or tan as they age. Amethyst Deceivers are typically found in woodlands, particularly with oak and beech trees, during late summer and autumn. While they are edible, it is important to accurately identify them as they resemble the poisonous Lilac Fibrecap mushroom.
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What You'll Learn
Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is edible
Amethyst Deceiver was first described in 1778 by the English botanist William Hudson, who named it Agaricus amethystinus. It has since had many binomials, but reference to the amethyst coloration is featured in most of these. It was placed in the genus Collybia, as Collybia amethystina, probably due to its tough collybioid-like stem. Its present binomial places it in Laccaria, with the specific epithet amethystina, a pairing first used by Cooke in 1884. In 1922, it was named as a variety of L. laccata, var. amethystina (Cooke) Rea, which is now a synonym.
There are several purplish species in North America that were formally labelled as L. amethystina before Gregory M. Mueller described them as distinct species in 1984. Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis is found in western North America and occurs only in association with conifers, while L. amethystina occurs mainly with hardwoods of the order Fagales. The sporocarp of L. amethysteo-occidentalis is larger than that of L. amethystina, with a deeper purple coloration that fades to vinaceous rather than brownish shades. The spores of L. amethysteo-occidentalis are not as strongly globose as those of L. amethystina, and they have much shorter spines.
Another species that was segregated by Mueller from L. amethystina is L. vinaceobrunnea, found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States. It is distinguished from L. amethystina and L. amethysteo-occidentalis by its colour, with deep purple only in very young specimens, which soon fades to reddish-brown and eventually to dull orange-brown or buff. Its spores are intermediate between the other two species, with a subglobose to broadly ellipsoid shape and long spines.
In 1988, Mueller described a third species of purple Laccaria, L. gomezii, as distinct from L. amethystina. This species is associated with Quercus and is endemic to the cloud forests of Central and South America, where L. amethystina also occurs. L. gomezii is similar to L. vinaceobrunnea in several characteristics, but its fresh sporocarp is a darker purple. Its lamellae also distinguish it from other members of the L. amethystina group, with attached to subdecurrant, very closely spaced lamellae.
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Amethyst Deceivers look similar to poisonous mushrooms
Amethyst Deceivers, or Laccaria amethystina, are indeed real. They are a type of edible mushroom, although only the caps are worth collecting as the fibrous stems are tough and inedible. They are fairly small toadstools with bright purple caps that can grow up to 6 centimetres in diameter. The gills are the same colour as the cap and are widely spaced, broad and irregular with shorter gills in between.
Amethyst Deceivers can be found in broadleaved and coniferous woodlands during late summer and autumn, particularly with oak and beech trees. They are often seen growing in the leaf litter on the woodland floor.
While Amethyst Deceivers are not poisonous, they do look similar to some poisonous mushrooms, such as the Lilac Fibrecap (Inocybe lilacina). The Lilac Fibrecap is potentially deadly, so it is important to be able to distinguish between the two. One key difference is the colour of the gills; Amethyst Deceivers have purple gills, while the Lilac Fibrecap has off-white or grey gills. Additionally, Amethyst Deceivers are typically found in woodlands, while Lilac Fibrecaps are often found in grasslands.
There are also other purple mushrooms that resemble Amethyst Deceivers, such as Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis, which is found in western North America, and L. vinaceobrunnea, which is found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States. These species can be distinguished from Amethyst Deceivers by their ecological associations and spore characteristics. It is important to be able to correctly identify Amethyst Deceivers before consuming them, as consuming the wrong mushroom can have serious consequences.
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Amethyst Deceiver's taxonomy and etymology
Amethyst Deceivers, or Laccaria amethystina, are small, brightly coloured, edible mushrooms. They are characterised by their deep purple or lilac colouration when young, fading to pale brown or tan as they age. The specific epithet "amethystina" refers to the amethyst colour of the fresh caps of these mushrooms.
Taxonomy
The Amethyst Deceiver was first described in 1778 by the English botanist William Hudson, who named it Agaricus amethystinus. In 1884, the British mycologist Mordecai Cubitt Cooke moved the species to its present genus, giving it the scientific name Laccaria amethystina. Synonyms of Laccaria amethystina include Agaricus amethysteus, Laccaria amethystea, Laccaria laccata var. amethystea, Omphalia amethystea, Agaricus amethystinus Huds., Agaricus lividopurpureus With., and Laccaria laccata var. amethystina (Cooke) Rea. The Amethyst Deceiver is still categorised as Laccaria amethystea in many field guides and on several websites.
In 1922, Gregory M. Mueller described several purplish species in North America that were previously labelled as L. amethystina as distinct species. These include Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis, found in western North America, and L. vinaceobrunnea, found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States. L. amethysteo-occidentalis differs from L. amethystina ecologically, as it occurs only in association with conifers, while L. amethystina occurs mainly with hardwoods of the order Fagales. L. vinaceobrunnea is distinguished from L. amethystina and L. amethysteo-occidentalis by its colour, which fades from deep purple in young specimens to reddish-brown and eventually to dull orange-brown or buff with age.
In 1988, Mueller described a third species of purple Laccaria, L. gomezii, as distinct from L. amethystina. This species is endemic to the cloud forests of Central and northern South America, where it is associated with Quercus.
Etymology
The name "Amethyst Deceiver" refers to the mushroom's bright amethyst colouration and the fact that it can be difficult to identify.
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Amethyst Mushrooms (Elaeomyxa Cerifera) were discovered in 1942
Amethyst mushrooms, or Laccaria amethystina, are commonly known as Amethyst Deceivers. They were first described in 1778 by the English botanist William Hudson, who named the species Agaricus amethystinus. However, the name Laccaria amethystina was assigned to the mushroom in 1884 by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke, a famous British mycologist.
Over a century later, in 1942, a unique variety of amethyst mushroom, Elaeomyxa Cerifera, was discovered. This variety is characterised by its ability to split open its fruiting structures to release spores that sparkle like a disco ball or a glowing star. This phenomenon has led some to compare it to a galaxy hidden within a mushroom.
The Amethyst Deceiver is a mycorrhizal mushroom, meaning it forms a mutualistic relationship with the roots of certain trees, primarily oaks and beeches. This relationship allows the mushroom to exchange nutrients with the tree, promoting the growth of both organisms. While the Amethyst Deceiver is edible, only the caps are typically consumed due to the fibrous and tough nature of the stems.
In terms of appearance, the Amethyst Deceiver has a deep purplish-lilac colour when moist, fading upon drying out. The cap is initially convex and later flattens, typically with a central depression. The stem is the same colour as the cap and has whitish fibrils at the base, becoming mealy at the top. The flesh of the mushroom is thin and lacks a distinctive taste or smell, with a pale lilac colour. The gills are coloured like the cap and are often widely spaced, with shorter gills in between.
It is important to accurately identify the Amethyst Deceiver as there are other purple mushrooms that can be poisonous or inedible, such as the Lilac Fibrecap and some Cortinarius mushrooms.
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Amethyst Deceiver's identification pictures, habitat, and similar species
Amethyst Deceivers Identification Pictures, Habitat, and Similar Species
The Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is a small toadstool with a bright purple colour. It has a deep purplish lilac cap that is up to 6 centimetres in diameter and is initially convex, later flattening, typically with a central depression. The cap is sometimes slightly scruffy at the centre and has pale striations at the margin. The stem is the same colour as the cap, with whitish fibrils at the base that become mealy at the top. During dry spells and as the mushroom gets older, the cap and stem become much paler and can even turn white.
Amethyst Deceivers grow in broadleaved and coniferous woodlands among the leaf litter during late summer and autumn. They are common in most temperate zones of Europe, Asia, Central, South, and eastern North America. They grow with a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees, most commonly with trees in the Fagales order, such as beech and oak.
Amethyst Deceivers are similar in appearance to the poisonous Lilac Fibrecap, so it is important to correctly identify them before consuming. Several other species of purple Laccaria have also been distinguished from L. amethystina, including L. vinaceobrunnea, which has a deep purple colour in very young specimens that fades to reddish-brown and eventually to dull orange-brown or buff colour with age. L. gomezii, which is endemic to the cloud forests of Central and northern South America, has a darker purple sporocarp than L. amethystina and distinct lamellae. L. amethysteo-occidentalis, found in western North America, has a deeper purple coloration and larger sporocarp than L. amethystina, and its spores are not as strongly globose.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, amethyst mushrooms are real. The Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina) is a real mushroom species that was first described in 1778 by the English botanist William Hudson. It is edible, although only the caps are worth collecting as the fibrous stems are tough and inedible.
Amethyst Deceivers are purple mushrooms. They are usually deep purplish lilac when young, but fade to pale brown or tan as they age. They are characterised by their convex shape, which flattens with a central depression (navel) over time. They are typically found growing in the leaf litter of woodlands during late summer and autumn.
Yes, there are several other species of purple mushrooms. Some examples include Laccaria vinaceobrunnea, Laccaria gomezii, and Inocybe lilacina. Laccaria vinaceobrunnea is found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States, while Laccaria gomezii is endemic to the cloud forests of Central and northern South America. Inocybe lilacina is a poisonous mushroom with grey gills, which can be distinguished from Amethyst Deceivers by their colour.
