''Laccaria amethystina'', commonly known as the "amethyst deceiver", is a small brightly colored mushroom, that grows in
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
and
coniferous forests. The mushroom itself is edible, but can absorb arsenic from the soil. Because its bright
amethyst coloration fades with age and weathering, it becomes difficult to identify, hence the common name "deceiver". This common name is shared with its close relation ''
Laccaria laccata
''Laccaria laccata'', commonly known as the deceiver, or waxy laccaria, is a white-spored species of small edible mushroom found throughout North America and Europe. It is a highly variable mushroom (hence 'deceiver'), and can look quite washed o ...
'' that also fades and weathers. It is found mainly in Northern
temperate zones
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
, though it is reported to occur in tropical
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
as well. Recently, some of the other species in the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
have been given the common name of "deceiver".
Taxonomy
This species was first described in 1778 by well-known English botanist and apothecary
William Hudson as ''Agaricus amethystinus'', and later put into the genus ''
Laccaria
''Laccaria'' is a genus around 75 species of fungus found in both temperate and tropical regions of the world. They are mycorrhizal. The type species is '' Laccaria laccata'', commonly known as the deceiver. Other notable species include '' L.&nb ...
'' by
Mordecai Cubitt Cooke
Mordecai Cubitt Cooke (12 July 1825, in Horning, Norfolk – 12 November 1914, in Southsea, Hampshire) was an English botanist and mycologist who was, at various points, a London schoolteacher, a Kew mycologist, curator at the India Museum, jour ...
. The amethyst deceiver has had many binomials over a great many years, but reference to the amethyst coloration is featured in most of these. It was once placed in the genus ''
Collybia'', as ''Collybia amethystina'', which was probably due in part to its tough collybioid-like stem. Its present binomial places it in the genus ''Laccaria'', with the
specific epithet ''amethystina'', a pairing first used by Cooke in 1884. In 1922 it was named as a variant of ''
Laccaria laccata
''Laccaria laccata'', commonly known as the deceiver, or waxy laccaria, is a white-spored species of small edible mushroom found throughout North America and Europe. It is a highly variable mushroom (hence 'deceiver'), and can look quite washed o ...
'', ''Laccaria laccata'' var. ''amethystina'' (Cooke) Rea, which is now a synonym.
Description
![Amethyst Deciever](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Amethyst_Deciever_%22Laccaria_amethystina%22_Oct.2015%2C_England.jpg)
The
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
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,
and has pale striations at the margin.
![Laccaria amethystina spores](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Laccaria_amethystina_spores.jpg)
The
stem is the same colour as the cap, and has whitish fibrils at the base, which become mealy at the top.
[ It is fibrous, hollow, fairly tough when rolled in the fingers, with dimensions of long by thick.][ The ]flesh
Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...
is without a distinctive taste or smell, and is thin, with pale lilac coloration.[ The ]gills
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...
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.[
]
Microscopic characteristics
The spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
s are spherical and hyaline, and bear pointed spines (echinulate
The following is a glossary of scientific terminology, terms used in the description of lichens, composite organisms that arise from algae or cyanobacteria living among Hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species in a Mutualism (biology), mutuali ...
) that are long relative to the size of the spore; they typically have dimensions of 7–10 by 7–10 µm. The basidia
A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly- ...
, the spore-bearing cells, are club-shaped and hyaline, and are 30–64.5 by 8.5–14 µm.[
]
Distribution and habitat
''Laccaria amethystina'' is a common species in most temperate zones
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
of Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
, and eastern North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. It grows solitary to scattered with a variety of deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
and coniferous trees, with which it is mycorrhizal
A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the pla ...
ly associated, though it most commonly occurs with trees in the Fagales
The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best-known trees. The order name is derived from genus ''Fagus'', beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families and genera currently included are as ...
.[ It appears in late summer to early winter, and often with ]beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
;[ in Central and South America, it more commonly grows in association with ]oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
.[Mueller, 1992]
p 71
72
Research has shown that ''L. amethystina'' is a so-called " ammonia fungus", an ecological classification referring to those fungi that grow abundantly on soil after the addition of ammonia, or other nitrogen-containing material; the congeneric species ''Laccaria bicolor
''Laccaria bicolor'' is a small tan-colored mushroom with lilac gills. It is edible but not choice, and grows in mixed birch and pine woods. It is found in the temperate zones of the globe, in late summer and autumn. ''L. bicolor'' is an e ...
'' is also an ammonia fungus.[
]
Edibility
As with other members of the genus ''Laccaria'', this species is edible, though generally not considered a choice edible. While not inherently toxic, in soils that are polluted with arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...
, it can bioaccumulate
Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated ...
a high concentration of that element.[
]
Similar species
There are several purplish species in North America that were formally labeled as ''L. amethystina'' before Gregory M. Mueller described them as distinct species in 1984. ''Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis
Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis is a mushroom found under conifers, usually pine, growing alone, scattered or gregariously in western North America.Muller, 1984.
Description
The cap is 1–7 cm; broadly convex to plane, becoming nearly ...
'' is found in western North America, where ''L. amethystina'' does not occur. It is a very common mushroom in its geographical range. Besides geographical difference, ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'' differs from ''L. amethystina'' in several ways: ecologically, the former occurs only in association with conifers, while the latter occurs mainly with hardwoods
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
of the order Fagales
The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best-known trees. The order name is derived from genus ''Fagus'', beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families and genera currently included are as ...
. The sporocarp of ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'' is on average larger than that of ''L. amethystina'', and has a deeper purple coloration, that fades to vinaceous rather than brownish shades. The spores are also quite distinct between the two, in that the spores of ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'' are not as strongly globose as those of ''L. amethystina'', being generally of a subglobose or even broadly ellipsoid shape, and additionally having much shorter spines than the spores of ''L. amethystina''.[Mueller, 1984]
p 105
[Mueller, 1992]
p 70–71
/ref>[Mueller, 1997. page]
/ref>
Another species that was segregated by Mueller from ''L. amethystina'' is ''Laccaria vinaceobrunnea'', a species found in the Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...
region of the southern United States. ''L. vinaceobrunnea'' is distinguished from ''L. amethystina'' and ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'' macroscopically by color, with the former species having a deep purple color only in very young specimens, which soon fades to a violaceous- or reddish-brown color, and eventually to dull orange-brown or buff color with age. Its spore features are intermediate between ''L. amethystina'' and ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'', having a subglobose to broadly ellipsoid shape like ''L. amethysteo-occidentalis'' (rather than the strongly globose shape of ''L. amethystina'' spores) and long spines characteristic of ''L. amethystina''.[Mueller, 1984]
p 115
[Mueller, 1992]
p 73
/ref>[Mueller, 1997. page]
The pileipellis of ''L. vinaceobrunnea'' is unique within ''Laccaria'', having a distinct palisadoderm, rather than the undifferentiated type or fasciculate trichoderm that is characteristic of other species of ''Laccaria''.[Mueller, 1984]
p 109
''L. vinaceobrunnea'' is also somewhat distinguished by habitat, being highly specific in association with ''Quercus virginiana
''Quercus virginiana'', also known as the southern live oak, is an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old Sou ...
''. ''L. amethystina'' is also often associated with this species, but is associated with many other tree species in the Fagales
The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best-known trees. The order name is derived from genus ''Fagus'', beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families and genera currently included are as ...
as well.[
In 1988, a third species of purple ''Laccaria'', ''Laccaria gomezii'', was described by Mueller as distinct from ''L. amethystina''. This species is associated with '']Quercus
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...
'' and is endemic to the cloud forests
A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...
of Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
and northern South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
(habitats in which ''L. amethystina'' also occurs). ''L. gomezii'' is similar to ''L. vinaceobrunnea'' in a number of characteristics, but the fresh sporocarp is a darker purple than either ''L. vinaceobrunnea'' or ''L. amethystina''. Its lamellae distinguish it from other members of the ''L. amethystina'' group, with ''L. gomezii'' having attached to subdecurrant, very closely spaced lamellae, in contrast to the sinuate to arcuate, narrowly attached lamellae of other species in this group. The spores of ''L. gomezii'' are similar to those of ''L. vinaceobrunnea'' and ''Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis'', and it lacks the distinct pileipellis hyphae of ''L. vinaceobrunnea''.[Mueller, 1992]
p 78–79
/ref>
Notes
References
* (Archived at: CYBERLIBER: an Electronic Library for Mycology.)
* (Archived at: Archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
.)
* Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educational ...
. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
External links
*
Index Fungorum
{{Taxonbar, from=Q28492278
amethystina
Fungi of North America
Fungi of Europe
Fungi of Asia
Edible fungi
Ammonia fungi
Taxa named by William Hudson (botanist)