Fauna
Fungus

Purple Pinwheel Mushroom

Marasmius haematocephalus

Also 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
Purple Pinwheel Mushroom reference1 / 7
(c) Diogo Luiz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Diogo Luiz · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyDecaying 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
Classification
  1. FamilyMarasmiaceae
  2. SpeciesMarasmius haematocephalus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. 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.
Related species
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