About this fungus
Wine-brown Laccaria is a fungus in the Hydnangiaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small, widely spaced-gilled Laccaria whose youthful lilac colours fade toward wine-brown while traces of violet remain.
What to check
Record associated trees, cap colour when fresh and dry, gill colour, fibrous stem and a white spore deposit. Examine spore ornament and other microscopic characters for species confirmation.
Variation
Moist young fruit bodies can be distinctly lilac. Sun, age and drying produce brown or vinaceous caps, so different ages in one group may appear unlike each other.
Lookalikes
Purple Laccaria species are regionally divided and frequently misnamed as L. amethystina. L. amethysteo-occidentalis and other local taxa cannot be excluded from photographs alone.
Habitat and range
Mycorrhizal with oak and mixed pine-oak forest in North America. Mexican records include montane oak and pine-oak sites.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Photo: Kristen L. Langanke · CC0 1.0