Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States Oct 15, 2025

Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States

Did you know that approximately 14,000 species of mushrooms have been described? One of them is the amethyst laccaria, pictured here. Also known as the amethyst deceiver, its bright purple colour is dazzling when young, but it fades with age and weathering, making it tricky to identify. Despite its delicate, ever-changing appearance, this jewel-toned fungus is edible and plays a vital role in the ecosystem.

© Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog
Oct 15, 2024Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 8, 2024Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
Nov 11, 2023Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
Sep 22, 2024Buttermere, Lake District National Park, England, United Kingdom
Jun 30, 2024Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Oct 13, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Aug 26, 2023Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island, Berlin, Germany
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome, Italy
Feb 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Mar 17, 2025Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Aug 12, 2024African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
May 17, 2025A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Jan 29, 2024Golling Waterfall, Salzburg, Austria
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Aug 6, 2024Molokini crater, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Jan 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Apr 10, 2024Burrowing owl chicks, Wyoming, USA
Apr 13, 2025Wat Tang Sai Temple, Thailand
Mar 30, 2024Brown-throated three-toed sloth
Dec 18, 2024Jim Corbett National Park, India
Aug 15, 2024Hang Sơn Đoòng, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
Sep 15, 2023Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sep 4, 2023Marshes of Bourges, France
Jul 16, 2024Skara Brae, Scotland
Jan 11, 2024Eurasian lynx