Gomphus clavatus, the violet chanterelle, is an edible species of fungus native to Eurasia and North America. The fruit body is vase- or fan- shaped with wavy edges on its rim, and grows up to 15 cm (6 in) wide and 17 cm (6 3⁄4 in) tall. The upper surface or cap is orangish- brown to lilac, while the lower spore-bearing surface, the hymenium, is covered in wrinkles and ridges rather than gills or pores, and is a distinctive purple color. Described by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774, it is found in coniferous forests and is associated particularly with spruces and firs. It is more common at elevations of greater than 2,000 ft (600 m), in moist, shady areas with plenty of leaf litter. Although widespread, G. clavatus has become rare in many parts of Europe and extinct in the British Isles. It is on the national Red Lists of threatened fungi in 17 European countries and is one of 33 species proposed for international conservation under the Bern Convention.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphus_clavatus

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

395:

Aelia Eudoxia married Byzantine emperor Arcadius without the knowledge or consent of Rufinus, the Praetorian prefect who had intended for his own daughter to wed the emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelia_Eudoxia

1521:

Filipino natives led by chieftain Lapu-Lapu killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan (pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapu-Lapu

1777:

American Revolutionary War: British Army regulars defeated Patriot militias in the Battle of Ridgefield, galvanizing resistance in the Connecticut Colony. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ridgefield

1967:

The Expo 67 world's fair opened in Montreal, with 62 nations participating and more than 50 million visitors ultimately attending. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67

1993:

Thirty people died, including players and staff of the Zambia football team and the crew, in a plane crash en route to play a World Cup qualifying match against Senegal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Zambia_national_football_team_plane_crash

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

ghost town: 1. A town which has become deserted, usually due to failing economic activity, especially one that still has substantial visible remains. 2. (figuratively) Anything that has been deserted or abandoned, or has been empty all along. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ghost_town

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I now hold omnipotence. What should I do with such almighty power? The answer to that is actually quite simple: Anything I want. Anything. I am incapable of error. Any result that displeases me I can simply reverse. There is nothing I need to worry on, for I am Thanos. And Thanos is supreme.   --Jim Starlin https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jim_Starlin