First called Agaricus prunus in 1794 by Christian Hendrik Persoon, it was assigned its current name in 1871 by German Paul Kummer.

[4] Mycena pura is a tiny to medium-sized mushroom with a radish-like scent that can grow in a variety of hues, frequently with purple undertones.

The cap is violet to purple when young but can change color with age.

It is widely dispersed across North America and can be found beneath conifers or occasionally hardwoods as decomposing forest litter.

The fungus also contains the mycotoxin muscarine, and the antifungal metabolite strobilurin D, the latter previously found in Cyphellopsis anomala.