The purple pinwheel sometimes called the mauve parachute, is the most beautiful mushroom among other stunning mushrooms in Indonesia. I discovered these photos while exploring my old photo files. I was somewhat uncertain whether these photos had ever been published, but after thoroughly reviewing my posts from the past year—although it took a lot of time—I am confident that I have not published them.
The EXIF data of the photos shows that they were taken in the first week of December 2023, about a year ago. I remember the woods where these mushrooms were found. It was our favorite mushroom spot behind a state university campus, Lhokseumawe. If it rained for several days in a row, the next day we would immediately raid the woods to hunt for beautiful and rare mushrooms. Recently, we tried to visit again, but unfortunately, the area had been leveled by excavators. The spot that was once dense with bushes has turned into a land excavation mining site.
The purple pinwheel or mauve parachute (Marasmius haematocephalus). The mushroom appears during the rainy season on forest litter shaded by dense shrubs. It quickly wilts, even when exposed to a little sunlight. The cap is a striking purple with slightly wide pink gills, while the stem is rather long and dark purple. When the cap opens completely, it resembles a traditional Chinese umbrella. The beauty of the mushroom stuns all who see it. Unfortunately, we haven't found another location where this mushroom appears until now. I can't wait to capture more of them. We are just waiting for nature to whisper to us.
This is my contribution to #FungiFriday hosted and curated by
Happy #FungiFriday🍄
These photos are my own, taken with POCO X3 NFC smartphone