Amethyst Deceiver

The cap is 1–6 cm in diameter, and is initially convex, later flattening, and often with a central depression (navel). When moist it is a deep purplish lilac, which fades upon drying out. It is sometimes slightly scurfy at the center,[1] and has pale striations at the margin.[2] Electronmicroscopic image of spores of Laccaria amethystina The stem is the same colour as the cap, and has whitish fibrils at the base, which become mealy at the top.[1] It is fibrous, hollow, fairly tough when rolled in the fingers, with dimensions of 0.6 to 7 centimetres (0.24 to 2.8 in) long by 0.1 to 0.7 centimetres (0.039 to 0.28 in) thick.[1] The flesh is without a distinctive taste or smell, and is thin, with pale lilac coloration.[1] 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.[1] [edit]Microscopic characteristics The spores are spherical, hyaline, and bear pointed spines (echinulate) that are long relative to the size of the spore; they typically have dimensions of 7–10 by 7–10 µm. The basidia, the spore-bearing cells, are club-shaped and hyaline, and are 30–64.5 by 8.5–14 µm