(70 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)
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Amethyst Deceiver
Edible 
Autumn 
Summer
Very common and beautifully coloured, although the colour can be deceptive in photographs.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Amethyst Deceiver |
| Scientific Name | Laccaria amethystina |
| Season Start | Jun |
| Season End | Nov |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 12 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 6 |
Cap
Convex to flattened with depressed centre and even upturned edges, often becoming deformed with age. Deep purple/lilac when young fading to pale brown/tan.
Gills
Gills deep purple/lilac when young fading to pale brown/tan. Widely spaced, broad and irregular with shorter gills in-between.
Stem
Deep purple/lilac when young fading to pale brown/tan. Fibrous, usually twisted and sometimes hollow.
Flesh
Purple can be white with a purple flush.
Habitat
Mixed woodland, particularly with oak and beech.
Possible Confusion
When young the deep purple of the Amethyst Deceiver is quite distinctive. Caution should be taken with older specimens however as the whole mushroom can fade and look more tinged then purple. The fading can make identification less sure as there could easily be a confusion with the potentially deadly Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina, pictured, but this mushroom has off white or grey gills whereas the Amethyst Deceiver has the same colour in the cap, gills and stem.
Spore Print
White. Globose with spines.
Taste / Smell
Mildly nutty/mushroomy and keeps its colour when cooked so a bright addition to any meal.
Frequency
Common.
5 comments for Amethyst Deceiver
Do you know if these keep well if you dehydrate them?
The keep very well once dried but never re-hydrate to a beautiful purple again.
Thanks for the info. Tried these for the first time today and they’re pretty good eating!
Found only a few of these in our local woodland and always wanted to find more; they’re delicious. Just visited a national trust woodland today and they were out in their hundreds! Mushroom stroganoff for dinner I think!
Today, very surprised to find such a bounty of them. Found my two biggest ever: cap of 10cm and another of 7cm. I’m going to take a crazy punt and see if I can’t make a mushroom bacon chowder with them.