Purple Fuzz
Punctularia atropurpurascens · Family Punctulariaceae · Updated October 2026
149US records
6states
Janbusiest month
149 US records since 1980 (143 in the last 10 years)
Last seen Mar 13, 2026 (about 7 months ago) near Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, CA, photographed by an iNaturalist user, with the ID agreed on by other iNaturalist users (research grade). Most US records come from California, Hawaii and Florida, and the busiest months are Jan, Mar and Feb. (Data as of October 26, 2026; records can lag by weeks.)
⚠ Never eat a wild mushroom based on this site. We show where fungi have been recorded, nothing more. We never say any mushroom is edible or safe, and you shouldn't decide that from any website, app or photo. Many deadly mushrooms look like harmless ones. If someone may have eaten a wild mushroom, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away.
Lookalike warning. Many mushrooms, including deadly ones, closely resemble each other, and the only reliable identification comes from an expert looking at the actual specimen (often with spore prints or microscopy). Never use a name, photo or record count on this page to decide what something is.
When it's recorded
Records by month, all years. Busiest: Jan, Mar, Feb.
Where it's recorded
| State | Records | Latest sighting |
|---|---|---|
| California | 142 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| Hawaii | 3 | Jul 9, 2023 |
| Florida | 1 | Jul 16, 1980 |
| Virginia | 1 | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Texas | 1 | Mar 30, 2018 |
| North Carolina | 1 | Nov 10, 2019 |
Top counties
- Santa Cruz County, CA (38) · latest Mar 13, 2026
- Marin County, CA (24) · latest Mar 4, 2026
- Santa Clara County, CA (19) · latest Feb 18, 2026
- Sonoma County, CA (14) · latest Dec 29, 2025
- San Mateo County, CA (10) · latest Jan 25, 2026
- Alameda County, CA (8) · latest Mar 1, 2026
- Contra Costa County, CA (6) · latest Dec 13, 2025
- Monterey County, CA (4) · latest Feb 20, 2025
- Honolulu County, HI (3) · latest Jul 9, 2023
- San Luis Obispo County, CA (3) · latest Feb 2, 2026
More on this species from GBIF.
Bring along
🍄
Regional mushroom field guideSee on Amazon🍄
Folding mushroom knife with brushSee on Amazon🍄
Wicker foraging basketSee on Amazon🍄
10x hand lens / loupeSee on Amazon🍄
Spore print paperSee on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.