Cortinarius stillatitius - Purple Stocking Webcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Common in deciduous woodland and occasionally under conifers, Cortinarius stillatitius (syn. Cortinarius pseudosalor) often fruits through moss; then the stems can very long.

Several of the webcaps are deadly poisonous and many others contain toxins that cause serious stomach upsets and other unpleasany symptoms. There are no species in the Cortinarius genus that are safe to eat.

Identification guide

Cap	Ochraceous brown with a tawny centre; smooth and shiny; viscid when wet; conical, expanding to become umbonate; margin may be either smooth or faintly striate; 4 to 9cm across.
Gills	Clay-brown then ochre-rust-brown; free or adnate; cortina pale violet or almost white.
Stem	White above ring zone; slimy and covered in violaceous veil material below; cylindrical, not swollen at the base; 7 to 10cm long, 1 to 2cm dia.
Spores	Rusty brown; 13 to 16 x 7 to 9 μm, lemon-shaped, densely verrucose.
Odour/taste	Not significant.
Habitat	In deciduous woodland, particularly under birches; sometimes also under conifers.
Season	August to October.
Occurrence	A common webcap in many areas.
Similar species	Cortinarius collinitus and several other smallish slimy-capped webcaps have ochre, brown or red-brown caps, and separating them with certainty is difficult without resorting to testing chemicals and a microscope.