Cortinarius violaceus
Encyclopedia
Cortinarius violaceus is a mushroom in the genus Cortinarius
. It is the type species
of the genus, but is distinguished from other species due to its dark colouration and distinct cystidia. Though edible
, its primary appeal is its appearance, as it is the darkest mushroom in the genus, comparable only with members of other genera.
. The specific epithet violaceus refers to the deep violet colour of its cap. In English, it is sometimes known as the Violet Webcap.
Cortinarius violaceus is the type species for the genus Cortinarius, which David Arora
considers odd due to its atypical colour and cystidia. However, if it were to be split from the genus, then, according to the rules of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, it would retain the name Cortinarius, while the other species would have to be reclassified. However, the species was one of only two species placed in the Cortinarius subgenus Cortinarius by the Austrian mycologist Meinhard Moser.
of 3.5 to 15 cm (1.4 to 5.9 in) across with an incurved margin. In colour, it is a dark violet to blue-black, and is covered in fine, downy scales. The stem
is 6 to 12 cm (2.4 to 4.7 in) tall, while 1 to 2 cm (0.393700787401575 to 0.78740157480315 in) thick. Due to its swollen, bulbous nature, the base of the stem can sometimes be as wide as 4 centimetres (1.6 in) thick. The stem is a similar colour to the cap, and covered in woolly fibril
s. Younger specimens feature a veil, but this vanishes quickly. The flesh is violet, but darker below the cap's cuticle
and in the stem. The gills are dark violet, changing to a purplish-brown with age. The species is the only one in the genus to have cystidia on both the faces and the edges of the gills. In shape, the gills are adnate, becoming adnexed, and are fairly well-spaced.
The spore print
is rust-coloured, while the spores themselves measure 12 um by 7 um, and are rough, shaped from elliptically to almond-shaped.
Some mycologists classify C. violaceus as two distinct species- Cortinarius violaceus, and Cortinarius hercynicus, differentiated due to the latter's rounder spores.
Of the many violet-coloured Cortinarius species, C. violaceus is the most deeply coloured. It is sometimes so dark that it is almost black, making it difficult to notice in woodland. The only other mushrooms with a comparable colour are certain Leptonia
species, including L. carnea and L. nigroviolacea. The Leptonia species are easily differentiated due to their pink spore print.
. The taste after cooking is reportedly bitter. Though some Cortinarius species (such as C. sanguineus and C. semisanguineus
) can be used to make dye
s, C. violaceus, despite its dark colour, is not one of them.
woodland during autumn, especially among oak
, birch
and beech
, but is also found on occasion with conifers. In North America, it favours conifers, and, though rare over much of the continent, is relatively common in certain areas including Mount Rainier National Park
and Olympic National Park
. Fruit bodies occur solitarily or in small groups, often near rotting wood.
Cortinarius
Cortinarius is a genus of mushrooms. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2000 different species and found worldwide. A common feature among all species in the genus Cortinarius is that young specimens have a cortina between the cap and the stem, hence the name,...
. It is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of the genus, but is distinguished from other species due to its dark colouration and distinct cystidia. Though edible
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
, its primary appeal is its appearance, as it is the darkest mushroom in the genus, comparable only with members of other genera.
Taxonomy
Agaricus violaceus was one of the few fungal species named by Carl Linnaeus, the "father of taxonomy". It was subsequently combined in Cortinarius by Samuel Frederick GraySamuel Frederick Gray
Samuel Frederick Gray was a British botanist, mycologist, and pharmacologist. He was the father of the zoologists John Edward Gray and George Robert Gray.-Background:...
. The specific epithet violaceus refers to the deep violet colour of its cap. In English, it is sometimes known as the Violet Webcap.
Cortinarius violaceus is the type species for the genus Cortinarius, which David Arora
David Arora
David Arora is an American mycologist, naturalist, and writer. He is the author of two popular books on mushroom identification, Mushrooms Demystified and All That the Rain Promises and More.......
considers odd due to its atypical colour and cystidia. However, if it were to be split from the genus, then, according to the rules of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, it would retain the name Cortinarius, while the other species would have to be reclassified. However, the species was one of only two species placed in the Cortinarius subgenus Cortinarius by the Austrian mycologist Meinhard Moser.
Description
Cortinarius violaceus has a convex (becoming broadly convex, umbonate or flat) capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
of 3.5 to 15 cm (1.4 to 5.9 in) across with an incurved margin. In colour, it is a dark violet to blue-black, and is covered in fine, downy scales. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 6 to 12 cm (2.4 to 4.7 in) tall, while 1 to 2 cm (0.393700787401575 to 0.78740157480315 in) thick. Due to its swollen, bulbous nature, the base of the stem can sometimes be as wide as 4 centimetres (1.6 in) thick. The stem is a similar colour to the cap, and covered in woolly fibril
Fibril
Fibril is a fine fiber approximately 1 nm in diameter.Cytoplasmic fibrils are observed on the protoplasmic cylinders found in most spirochetal species, although no function of the cytoplasmic fibrils has been ascribed....
s. Younger specimens feature a veil, but this vanishes quickly. The flesh is violet, but darker below the cap's cuticle
Cuticle
A cuticle , or cuticula, is a term used for any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticles" are non-homologous; differing in their origin, structure, function, and chemical composition...
and in the stem. The gills are dark violet, changing to a purplish-brown with age. The species is the only one in the genus to have cystidia on both the faces and the edges of the gills. In shape, the gills are adnate, becoming adnexed, and are fairly well-spaced.
The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is rust-coloured, while the spores themselves measure 12 um by 7 um, and are rough, shaped from elliptically to almond-shaped.
Some mycologists classify C. violaceus as two distinct species- Cortinarius violaceus, and Cortinarius hercynicus, differentiated due to the latter's rounder spores.
Of the many violet-coloured Cortinarius species, C. violaceus is the most deeply coloured. It is sometimes so dark that it is almost black, making it difficult to notice in woodland. The only other mushrooms with a comparable colour are certain Leptonia
Leptonia
Leptonia is a genus of small and medium sized pink-spored mushrooms that contains over 100 species. Leptonias are saprotrophic and most grow on the ground, but some are found on wood. The cap is thin and can be convex, plane, often depressed and usually has small scales...
species, including L. carnea and L. nigroviolacea. The Leptonia species are easily differentiated due to their pink spore print.
Edibility and other uses
The flesh of C. violaceus has a mild taste, with a slight smell reminiscent of cedar-wood. It is considered edible, but is not choice; instead, its primary appeal, according to Arora, is its beautyBeauty
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
. The taste after cooking is reportedly bitter. Though some Cortinarius species (such as C. sanguineus and C. semisanguineus
Cortinarius semisanguineus
Cortinarius semisanguineus is a medium-sized mushroom with a pale brown to ochre cap, and bright blood-red gills. It belongs to the genus Cortinarius, a group collectively known as webcaps. It is found growing in conifer plantations, and has recently been given the fanciful common name of surprise...
) can be used to make dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
s, C. violaceus, despite its dark colour, is not one of them.
Distribution and habitat
Cortinarius violaceus is found in North America, Europe, Central America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. It is an uncommon species, found in Europe in deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woodland during autumn, especially among oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, but is also found on occasion with conifers. In North America, it favours conifers, and, though rare over much of the continent, is relatively common in certain areas including Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
and Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
. Fruit bodies occur solitarily or in small groups, often near rotting wood.