Purple-gilled Laccaria

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not listed

not listed

Purple-gilled Laccaria is an easily recognized, robust, gill mushroom. It is common and widespread in eastern United States east of the Great Plains.

The vegetative (non-reproductive) part of the fungus (mycelium) grows on the rootlets of many species of trees and shrubs. It exists in a mutually beneficial (mycorrhizal) relationship, obtaining sugars and amino acids from the host while helping the host absorb water and nutrients. The fungus and the host need each other to survive.

The fruiting structure (mushroom) is 2″ to 8″ tall. It is found on the ground alone, scattered, or in clusters, in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. The mushroom is short-lived, not surviving the winter. The mycelium may survive for decades.

The cap is 1⅜″ to 4¾″ in diameter. It is broadly convex at first, becoming flat or with raised edges, sometimes with a depression in the middle, at maturity. It is light purplish-brown when young, becoming light brown when mature, and fading to grayish-white with age. The upper surface is dry and hairless or finely hairy. The margins rolled under at first, flattening out then becoming uplifted and sometimes wavy at maturity.

The gills are thick, somewhat waxy, well-spaced, and usually broadly attached to the stalk, sometimes slightly continuing down the stalk. The are dark purple or bright amethyst purple at first, fading with age and becoming dusted with white spores.

The stalk is 1¾″ to 7½″ tall, 3 ⁄16″ to 1″ thick, often curved, slightly swollen at the base, and evenly tapered to the top. It smooth or slightly scaly and colored the same as the cap.

The flesh is thick and colored similar to the cap or paler. It is edible but not tasty and not often collected for human consumption.

The spore print is white.

On the ground in deciduous and mixed forests

July to November

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Common and widespread in eastern United States

The genus Laccaria was formerly placed in the family Tricholomataceae, a waste-basket family containing a large number of genera that do not fit into another family or have not (yet) been separated into a distinct family. Some authors placed it into a separate family, Hydnangiaceae, based on its unique spore type. Subsequent DNA studies support this separation.

Gills

Group

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Location: Dakota County

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park