This was another shocker to find – I think every fungus that I come across that is bright purple/violet (or any super bright color, frankly) always takes me off guard.
Alternate Name: Spotted Cort Size: Cap 2-6cm, stem 4-7cm Family: Cortinariaceae Habitat: Grows typically with hardwood trees (especially oaks), in humus and litterfall. Identification: "Fruit bodies have small, slimy, purple caps up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter that develop yellowish spots and streaks in maturity. The gill color changes from violet to rusty or grayish brown as the mushroom matures." From wikipedia.com
You can kind of see the shimmer of the slimy coating in this photograph.
