Plants and animals of Pointfield

Cap to 9 cm diameter, initially domed and a violaceous dark-brown colour; becoming flatter as it grows and a paler grey-violet colour; edge inrolled; surface dry and slightly waxy. Gills dense with 4 cycles of gill sizes; lilac-coloured; adnexed; gills peel easily from the cap. Stem stout and short, fibrillose, lilac in colour, tapering at base; no ring; 40 x 12 mm. Spore print a creamy yellow colour. Spores amygdaloid, with warty surface; 6.4-7.3 x 4.4-5.2 um, mean = 6.9 x 4.8 um, N = 15; Q = 1.4. No cystidia.

Common under walnut trees in October and on grass compost heap underneath holly trees; found also under leyland cypressus and in path beyond the hazel trees.