Fungus · GBIF taxon 2537266
Purple Pinwheel Mushroom
Marasmius haematocephalusAlso known as Purple Pinwheel
Purple pinwheel mushrooms produce delicate, pleated, umbrella-like caps ranging from deep magenta to bright reddish-purple that sit atop wiry, thread-like stems. These tiny saprotrophic fungi colonize fallen leaves and twigs on tropical forest floors, playing a vital role in breaking down organic debris. Their thin caps expand during humid weather to release spores and can shrivel when dry, quickly reviving after rainfall.
SaprotrophicTropicalColorful
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying leaf litter
- Woody plant debris
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus gnats
- Mites
ThreatsHabitat loss, deforestation
HabitatsTropical rainforests, humid woodlands, leaf litter
Life spanFruiting body lasts a few days; mycelium persists indefinitely
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyMarasmiaceae
- SpeciesMarasmius haematocephalus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Macro Photography: Use a macro lens and soft lighting to capture the fine cap striations.
- Habitat Search: Look closely at damp fallen leaves after heavy rainfall in humid woodlands.
Distant Look-Alike (c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · cc-by
Close Relative (c) @dineshphotography7797, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Davide Puddu, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Davide Puddu · cc-by
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