Silvery-violet Cort

Silvery-violet Cort is a common, small to medium-sized, webcap mushroom. It occurs in Europe and North America. In the United States, it occurs in the east from Maine to Florida, west to Minnesota and eastern Texas. In the west it occurs on the coast from northern Washington to central California, and the range extends up the coast into Alaska. A separate (disjunct) population occurs in Colorado. It is one of the most common species in the very large genus Cortinarius. It is less common in Minnesota, where it reaches the western extent of its eastern range.

Silvery-violet Cort is found in late summer and fall, in deciduous forests, alone, scattered, or in groups but not clustered (gregarious). It grows on the ground attached to the roots of hardwoods. It obtains its nutrients from the rootlets of living trees (mycorrhizal).

When it first appears, the cap is convex to broadly bell shaped, silvery violet, and covered with silk-like fibers, remnants of the universal veil. As it ages, it broadens, the color fades, the surface becomes silky and shiny, and the margins turn outward, giving the cap a somewhat helmet-like appearance. The mature cap is 1¼″ to 3″ (3 to 8 cm) in diameter. It may be broadly bell shaped, with a broad, central bump, or nearly flat. The surface is dry, satiny, and pale silvery violet, whitish lilac, or whitish.

The gills are closely spaced. They may be narrowly attached to the stalk, broadly attached, or notched at the stalk. They are pale violet or whitish at first, but they become cinnamon brown to rusty brown as the spores ripen.

The stalk is 1½″ to 4¾″ (4 to 12 cm) long and 3⁄16″ to ⅜″ (5 to 10 mm) thick at the top. It is usually club shaped or swollen at the base. The upper part is dry, silky, and violet or pale violet. The lower part is yellowish but is covered with whitish silky fibers. The fibers may appear brownish as they trap mature spores fallen from the gills. The base of the stem is “booted”, sheathed with white, thin, soft, silky material of the universal veil.

The flesh is whitish or pale violet. The odor is mild. The edibility is unknown, but it should be avoided due to its similarity in appearance to other poisonous mushrooms.

The spore print is rusty brown.

Deciduous forests

Common but not abundant

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Cortinarius alboviolaceus was first described in Europe in 1801, then later reported widely in North America. It is likely that Cortinarius alboviolaceus is restricted to Europe, and in North America there is a group of two or more distinct species similar to it, but further study is needed to separate them.

Weißvioletter Dickfuß, Cortinarius alboviolaceus
PILZWELTEN

Robert Briggs
10/20/2016

Location: Afton State Park, Southern River Trail