Laccaria amethystina Cooke

Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina)

Laccaria amethystina, commonly known as the amethyst deceiver, or amethyst laccaria, is a small brightly colored mushroom. Because its bright amethyst coloration fades with age and weathering, it becomes difficult to identify, hence the common name "deceiver". This common name is shared with its close relation L. laccata, which also fades and weathers. Recently, some of the other species in the genus have been given the common name of "deceiver".

Source: Wikipedia

Synonyms 10

Agaricus lividopurpureus, Clitocybe amethystina, Collybia amethystina, Laccaria hudsonii, Agaricus amethystinus var. ioides, Agaricus amethystinus var. purpurellus, Laccaria amethystea var. vinosostriata, Laccaria hudsonii var. vinosostriata, Laccaria laccata var. amethystina, Russuliopsis laccata var. amethystina

97,139 GBIF occurrences
16,973 iNaturalist observations

Conservation status code

Conservation: status label

Least Concern

Conservation: population trend

Unknown

Conservation: year assessed

2025

IUCN Red List page

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/229720902/273246194

Habitats

IUCN: population narrative

The overall population size and trend are unknown.

IUCN: habitat narrative

The species forms ectomycorrhizal associations, primarily with species of Quercus and Fagus.

IUCN: threats narrative

No major threats have been identified.

IUCN: conservation narrative

Laccaria amethystina is likely to be a species complex with several proposed segregate species, each of which appear to be broadly distributed. Further taxonomic work is required.

IUCN: rationale

Laccaria amethystina sensu lato is distributed throughout the temperate northern hemisphere into Colombia in northern South America (Mueller 1992). Several segregate species have been proposed for Asian material (Vincenot et al. 2017). It is widespread associated with Fagaceae in North America into Colombia, and east into Eurasia where it forms ectomycorrhizal associations, primarily with species of Quercus and Fagus. It is assessed as Least Concern.

Laccaria amethystina Cooke

Related species

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