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
—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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