Cortinarius subpulchrifolius

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by Michael Kuo

If it is indeed distinct from Cortinarius alboviolaceus, this North American species is a hardwood lover with a silvery cap that is not usually bell-shaped and features rusty or brownish discolorations at maturity. In other respects it closely resembles Cortinarius alboviolaceus, with its sheathed white stem and purplish (young) gills.

In my area (central Illinois), Cortinarius subpulchrifolius appears in the summer, usually in July. Its colors and stature are reminiscent of Laccaria ochropurpurea, but that species has a white spore print and gills that remain purplish, rather than eventually becoming rusty brown.

The edibility of Cortinarius subpulchrifolius is not known. Do not experiment.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods, especially oaks; growing alone or scattered; summer and fall; known from the Great Lakes region.

Cap: 4-10 cm; convex, becoming broadly convex; dry; silky; gray to silvery buff, sometimes with pale lilac shades when young; developing rusty to brownish areas and stains.

Gills: Attached to the stem; fairly well spaced; purplish, eventually becoming cinnamon to rusty; covered by a white cortina when young.

Stem: 5-10 cm long; 1-1.5 cm thick at the apex; equal or swollen at the base; dry; silky; pale lilac near the apex, silvery to grayish elsewhere; sheathed with white over the lower half (but the basal mycelium, in my experience, is lilac when the mushroom is fresh); often with a rusty ring zone.

Flesh: Whitish, grayish, or pale lilac.

Odor: Mild.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface negative.

Spore Print: Rusty brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 8-10 x 5-6 µ; elliptical; slightly roughened.

REFERENCES: Kauffman, 1918. (Kauffman, 1918; Smith, Smith & Weber, 1979.) Herb. Kuo 07170406.

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Kuo, M. (2005, January). Cortinarius subpulchrifolius. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cortinarius_subpulchrifolius.html