More purple

Following on from yesterday's Rosy Bonnets today's find is another purpley thing to liven up an even greyer day. This is the beautiful Amethyst Deceiver, surprisingly difficult to spot when walking at pace with the spaniel. Its called 'deceiver' because, when dry, its cap colour changes to a dull grey. It was given its name by our old friend Mordecai Cubbitt Cooke who featured in my blip of 21st November.  Incidentally, I've had the slime mould in that blip identified as a Stemonitis species and probably Stemonitis fusca (for a fantastic time lapse sequence of the sporangia development see this YouTube clip). If only I'd stayed long enough to see that happen!