About Porphyrellus porphyrosporus (Fr.) E.-J.Gilbert
The cap of Porphyrellus porphyrosporus is dark brown, usually with a paler margin. Caps start out convex, then expand as they mature and sometimes become irregularly lobed. When fully expanded, the cap measures 6 to 15 cm (2+1⁄4 to 6 inches) in diameter. The cap has soft buff-colored flesh with a vinaceous tinge. The tubes are a similar color to the cap, and turn blue-green when cut or bruised. The stem grows 5 to 16 cm (2 to 6+1⁄4 inches) tall and 1 to 3 cm (3⁄8 to 1+1⁄8 inches) in diameter, and is either equal in width along its length or clavate (wider at the base). Young stems are tobacco brown with a slightly velvety texture, and become smooth as the fruit body matures. The stem flesh is white, and produces blue stains that change color after being cut or damaged. This mushroom has a smell that ranges from mild to pungent, and a taste that ranges from mild to bitter. Its spore print is reddish-brown. This is a widespread species found in Europe, especially in northern Europe, but it is not particularly common anywhere. It also occurs in northern North America. Fruit bodies grow from late summer to autumn, often in small groups, in association with broad-leaved trees including beech and oak.
