The Deceivers

Laccaria amethystina and  Laccaria laccata   – The Amethyst Deceiver and The Deceiver.

The Amethyst Deceiver is a small, bright purple mushroom, which grows under both coniferous and deciduous trees in gardens and woods.

The brown version is simply called The Deceiver – Laccaria laccata. They enjoy similar habitats can been found growing together in large troops.

These mushrooms are mycorrhizal which means they maintain a mutual symbiotic association with a tree, usually Oak or Beech. In my case, these are growing side by side under an old beech tree.

The Amethyst Deceiver is edible but can absorb arsenic from the ground so is not ideal. The fabulous purple colour fades over time to a dull grey hence its name ‘Deceiver’ and is indistinguishable from its cousin, Laccaria lacatta aka the Deceiver.

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