Amethyst deceiver or Wood blewit

The cap is small to medium: 2-7 cm across, hemispherical to convex with an inrolled edge in young mushrooms, later convex-flattened with a small bump in the center, or depressed. The color is deep amethyst purple, lilac-purple in fresh, moist mushrooms. As it dries and ages it fades to grayish-lilac, then to pale cream with a purple tinge. The surface is silky-matte, slightly damp in wet weather.

Cap 5-15 cm across, when young convex with an inrolled margin, becoming with age flat and spreading. The cap skin is smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather. Color vivid violet or lilac-violet when young, less often with a pink tint; with age it fades to brownish-violet, then to brownish-cream with violet traces at the margin. The margin is even, inrolled when young.

Gilled hymenophore. The gills are widely spaced, thick, attached or slightly decurrent. Their color echoes the cap — deep amethyst purple, with a whitish, floury bloom (spores). The spore print is white.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are adnate or slightly decurrent, very crowded, thin. Color distinctly violet-lilac when young, brownish-violet to brownish-cream with age, with a greenish-pink tint when mature. Spore print pale pink to creamy pink — characteristic of the genus Lepista.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, slender, cylindrical, often curved. The color is purple, matching the cap, lengthwise fibrous. At the base — white mycelial fuzz. No ring. The stem becomes hollow in old mushrooms.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, thickening toward the base. Color violet to lilac-violet, often paler lower down, with whitish mycelium at the base. The surface is smooth with fine lengthwise fibers. No ring.

Flesh thin, lilac-purple, soft. Doesn't change color when cut. No pronounced taste, faint aroma.

Flesh firm; thin in the cap, thick in the stem, violet-whitish to pale lilac. Doesn't change color when cut or slowly fades to grayish-violet. Smell pleasant, sweetish and perfumed, reminiscent of lilac or violet, with a hint of anise, taste sweet at first, then mildly mushroomy.

Faint, pleasant mushroomy, neutral. Taste mild, with no particular notes. Not for bold-flavored dishes — nobody picks it for its aroma.

A distinct, pleasant, sweetish-perfumed smell — reminiscent of lilac, violet or a touch of anise. A helpful clue, but not a decisive one: the violet webcap smells faintly of cedar, and some lilac webcaps (Cortinarius camphoratus, C. traganus) smell strong and unpleasant. So check the smell together with the spore print colour.