Slimy sticky cap, thick stalk with a dense woody feel, but not heavy. Purple in color, with lightly tinted gills.
Growing on decaying oak log next to occasional stream. Spore print white. Knife is 4 inches, so larger cap is about 6 inches. Taste and odor mild, not distinctive.
Midway up the trunk of a coast live oak tree. Approximately 1 hour after posting the initial photos, I returned to the specimen and most of it had been removed. A neighbor told me that someone harvested the fungus from the tree. The last photo shows beneath where the fungus was attached.
There are a bunch of small bugs on these. I'm planning on making some closer observations to make sure it's edible. Anyone have any clue what the bugs might be?
Slimy sticky cap, thick stalk with a dense woody feel, but not heavy. Purple in color, with lightly tinted gills.