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Species Information
Summary: Subgenus Telamonia Section Brunneotincti. Features include large fleshy fruitbody, purplish gray cap that discolors brownish, pale grayish violet gills, stem widening downward, colored pale purplish gray becoming pale brownish, universal veil bluish violet, growth under conifers often in clusters, and microscopic characters including nearly round to broadly elliptic verrucose spores. The description is derived from Niskanen(1).
Collections were examined from BC, NL, QC, TN, (Niskanen(1))
Cap: (3)5-12cm across, at first hemispheric, later low convex to almost flat with persistently incurved margin; at first light gray, pinkish gray to pale red, later light brown to reddish brown with lavender margin, not hygrophanous, cap also described as "purplish gray when fresh then discoloring brownish"; dry, tomentose
Flesh: in cap and upper stem violet and whitish, "in cortex violet, in other parts whitish, marbled, hygrophanous, discoloring slowly brownish when cut"
Gills: adnexed to emarginate, relatively narrow to moderately broad, moderately thick, close to crowded; pale grayish violet when young, becoming dark brown; edge whitish to violet or colored as faces
Stem: 6-10cm x 1.2-2.4cm at top, 1.8-2.7cm at base, "slightly clavate to clavate"; "very pale purplish gray when young, whitish grayish to very pale brownish when old", complete and incomplete broad girdles from the bluish violet universal veil, with handling especially the lower stem becoming brownish; fibrillose; basal mycelium "first whitish or bluish violet, when pressed with the thumb becoming deep purple and later brown"
Veil: universal veil "bluish violet, forming broad, complete and incomplete girdles" on stem
Odor: indistinct
Microscopic spores: spores 7.0-8.5 x 5.5-6.5 microns, nearly round to broadly elliptic, (size and shape varying much within one fruitbody), "moderately to somewhat coarsely verrucose, somewhat more strongly at the apex, almost nondextrinoid to slightly dextrinoid", wall medium thick; basidia 4-spored, 25-40 x 8-9 microns, clavate, colorless or with yellowish content in KOH and Melzer''s reagent; clamp connections present
Habitat / Range
in coniferous forests, often in groups (clusters)
Similar Species
Cortinarius cyanites has a grayish universal veil, flesh that becomes deep vinaceous red on exposure, and almond-shaped spores, (Niskanen); Cortinarius camphoratus has a strong unpleasant odor, yellow universal veil, somewhat silky shiny cap, and almond-shaped to slightly elliptic spores, (Niskanen)
