A tiny omphalinoid mushroom of rotting conifer logs in eastern North America, with a sticky, dull yellow cap, pale lilac gills that run slightly down the stem, and a lilac pad of mycelium at the stem base. It was long known as Mycena lilacifolia and later lumped with the Eurasian Chromosera cyanophylla. A 2025 DNA study showed that North American material is two species, and it resurrected Peck's name for the eastern one.
Eastern North America: originally described from New York and fairly widely distributed in the Midwest and East, with records from Texas and Arizona (MushroomExpert.com). The western North American species that western field guides called 'C. lilacifolia' or C. cyanophylla is C. loreleiae; true C. cyanophylla occurs in Eurasia.
Characteristics
Cap: 5-20 mm, broadly convex with a small central depression, sticky when fresh, bald, dull brownish yellow. Gills: running slightly down the stem, nearly distant, pale lilac. Stem: up to 30 mm long, 2 mm thick, equal, bald, brownish yellow. Spore print: white. Spores: 6-8 x 3-4 um, smooth, inamyloid; no cystidia (MushroomExpert.com).
