The largest Marasmius of the North American West Coast, with a finely velvety, purple-red to mahogany cap. Its tall, brittle stem is pale above and dark reddish-black below. It fruits in fall and winter in litter under oaks and conifers.
Western North America, chiefly the Pacific Coast, where it is common from November to February; reported inland to Idaho.
Characteristics
Cap: 1-5 cm, conical or bell-shaped when young, becoming broadly conical or convex; dry and finely velvety, sometimes radially wrinkled with age; purple-red to reddish brown, sometimes browner. Gills: narrowly attached or free, distant, white to creamy or yellowish, sometimes with pinkish to brownish edges. Stem: 5-13 cm long and up to 3 mm thick, dry, brittle and smooth; creamy or pinkish above, purple-red to reddish black or dark brown below; basal mycelium white. Flesh: thin, whitish; odor and taste mild. Spore print: white. Spores: 11-16.5 x 5-6.5 um, smooth, fusoid to almond-shaped, inamyloid (MushroomExpert.com).
