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:

Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Aug 13, 2024Telašćica Nature Park, Dugi Otok, Croatia
Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Tanzania
Mar 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Oct 21, 2023Persepolis, Iran
June 20, 2026Arched iceberg, western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean
Oct 9, 2025Pillars of Creation
Aug 6, 2026Migrating wildebeest crossing Mara River in Masai Mara, Kenya
Aug 22, 2023Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia
Sep 15, 2024Varenna on Lake Como, Italy
Feb 4, 2025Golden Bridge, Bà Nà Hills, Da Nang, Vietnam
Nov 5, 2023Playa del Silencio, Spain
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York, USA
Aug 18, 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, USA
June 30, 2026Giraffes at sunset in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
May 24, 2026Tre Cime Nature Park, South Tyrol, Italy
Sep 25, 2024Giant sequoias, Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Apr 13, 2026Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, United States
May 13, 2026Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Apr 23, 2024Library of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Aug 16, 2026Pedra Furada, Jericoacoara, Brazil
Jan 27, 2025Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Mar 7, 2025Plum blossoms, China
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam
Nov 28, 2025Val Brandet, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy
Nov 16, 2023Athens and the Acropolis, Greece
Jul 10, 2025Turquoise waters of the Bahamas
Feb 15, 2025Icicles of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan