All About Cortinarius Violaceus: Purple Mushrooms

While there are a handful of purple mushroom species to be found on the planet, the most likely candidate for a mushroom hunter or wildlife enthusiast to come across in North America is Cortinarius violaceus. Cornarius violaceus is a completely purple mushroom that is still considered quite rare, particularly in the southeastern state where I have stumbled upon it. The deep purple cap is sure to catch the eye while surveying the deciduous forest floor during the late summer and early fall.

The cap of Cortnarius violaceus emerges in a light purple convex youth that matures in a nearly flat shape with a dark and rich violet color. Palmer and Fowler's Fieldbook of Natural History reports them as being scattered and solitary, as do most online resources regarding this species. However, I have found them in fairly dense patches of a half dozen or so purple mushrooms with multiple patches located near one or another.

This purple mushroom can be found in coniferous forest in the west if they offer substantial shade, as well as deciduous forests with a sizable measure of limestone and chalk in the soil. They are somewhat common in Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park but are generally considered rare in North America. Cortinarius violaceus has a purple stalk, or stipe, that is club shaped at the base and is between a half and one inch in diameter. A spore print of the fleshy under belly reveals a rusty brownish shade with gills that are purple when young and a similar rusty brown at maturity. At the end of its cycle, the gills become quite dark due to the staining of the spores. The caps are fairly short lived and proceed from a young cap into rapid deterioration over the course of a few days. Mature caps are about four inches in diameter.

Cortinarius violaceus is an edible mushroom with a nutty aroma that is said to resemble cedar. Considered particularly attractive to mushroom hunters in the western states where they are more common, most report that the taste of a Cortinarius violaceus is nothing special, while others count this species amongst some of their favorite finds.

Be sure to check out the multiple pictures provided above.

Sources:
http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/id_guide/cortinariales/cortinarius_violaceus.htm
http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/hall/cortviol.html
http://mushroomobserver.org/name/show_name/2041
http://www.blueswami.com/cortinarius_violaceus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortinarius_violaceus
Fieldbook of Natural History, Second Edition. Palmer, E. Lawrence; Fowler, H. Seymore. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1974.