Appearance
Fruiting bodies are initially almost spherical, then cup-shaped, then expanding to being somewhat flattened in age. They do not have a stem, and may be up to 3 centimetres wide by 1–1.5 cm tall, although they are often much smaller.The inner spore-bearing surface of the cup, the hymenium, is pale violet to reddish violet in color, often centrally depressed and slightly wrinkled. The flesh is thin and pale purple. The exterior surface is paler than the interior, somewhat grayish, and may be ''pruinose'' near the margins—having a very fine whitish powder on the surface.
The odor and taste are not distinctive.The spores are elliptical, smooth, hyaline, without any oil droplets , with dimensions of 16–17 × 8–10 µm. The asci are roughly cylindrical, 8-spored 200–250 × 12–15 µm. The paraphyses are club-shaped, filled with violet granules, and have curved tips; they are up to 8 µm wide.
Naming
The closely related ''Peziza praetervisa'' is also violet-colored and prefers growing on burned ground. In general, ''Peziza praetervisa'' is more purple- rather than violet-colored like ''P. violacea''. However, fruiting body color can vary depending on humidity and other factors, so they are more reliably distinguished microscopically—''P. praetervisa'' has rough, not smooth spores with two polar oil drops. ''P. proteana'' also prefers burned ground, but is paler in color, being white or pinkish.
Distribution
It is found in North America and Europe, and Iceland.Habitat
''Peziza violacea'' is widespread on burned soil and charred wood. It typically grows scattered or in groups.References:
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