Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States Oct 15, 2025

Did you know that approximately 14,000 species of mushrooms have been described? One of them is the amethyst laccaria, pictured here. Also known as the amethyst deceiver, its bright purple colour is dazzling when young, but it fades with age and weathering, making it tricky to identify. Despite its delicate, ever-changing appearance, this jewel-toned fungus is edible and plays a vital role in the ecosystem.

© Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog
Oct 15, 2024Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Aug 29, 2023American bison
Jul 11, 2025Tokyo at sunrise, Japan
Jun 28, 2025Mannheim Water Tower, Germany
Jul 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Oct 30, 2023Common raven
Oct 28, 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Aug 26, 2023Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island, Berlin, Germany
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Aug 19, 2025Flysch in Zumaia, Basque Country, Spain
Apr 4, 2026Black grouse males, Estonia
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon, USA
Apr 2, 2026Wildflower bloom, Central Valley, California, United States
Sep 4, 2023Marshes of Bourges, France
Apr 22, 2025Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
May 1, 2025Plumeria flowers, Hawaii, United States
Jun 7, 2024Family of humpback whales, Dutch Harbour, Alaska
Feb 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, Canada
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Nov 30, 2023The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Nov 12, 2023Mallard ducks
Feb 14, 2024Red-crowned crane
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies
Mar 31, 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
Mar 12, 2026Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse