Mushroom Monday: Violet Webcap

Mushroom Monday: Violet Webcap

Happy Mushroom Monday!  Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is the Violet Webcap (Cortinarius violaceus).  Did you know mushrooms could come in colors like violet?  It’s true.  Read on to learn more about this amazing mushroom.

What Do Violet Webcap Mushrooms Look Like?

Violet webcap mushrooms are generally violet in color but can also be blue or purple.  Their color can get so dark that sometimes they can look black.  Their color gives them the first part of their common name.

The caps of violet webcaps are dry, have scales, and can look metallic.  They can get to be more than four and a half inches across and can develop a bump at the center as the mushroom ages.  Their stems are the same color as the cap and are dry and have hairs.  The stems can have a radius of around 0.2 to 0.8 inches and can get to around 2.3 to 6.3 inches in height.

Violet webcaps have a covering on their gills called a partial veil.  This covering is web-like and fragile (a veil that’s like this is called a cortina).  As the cap expands and the mushroom grows, this covering gets detached from the gills and leaves a ring on the stem, although parts can remain attached to the gills.  The cortina can get covered with spores from the mushroom, which can give it and the gills a brown color.  The cortina gives the violet webcap, the “webcap” part of its name.

What Relationship Do Violet Webcaps Have with Trees?

Violet Webcap mushrooms are mycorrhizal mushrooms.  They get sugars from tree roots and help trees to absorb nutrients and moisture.  Other examples of mycorrhizal mushrooms are morels, saffron milkcaps, and common earthball mushrooms.  Violet webcaps can have a mycorrhizal relationship with different types of trees.  There is some indication that the spore shape from the mushroom will be different depending on the type of tree it has a relationship with.  Some believe that the mushroom should be considered to have two different varieties because some have a relationship with hardwood trees and others with conifers.

Where can Violet Webcaps be Found?

Violet webcaps can be found in Asia, North America, and Europe, although they are rare in Ireland and Britain.  They can be found in deciduous woods and in particular on soils that are alkaline.  The fruit of the mushroom appears toward the end of summer through fall.  The mushrooms can be found alone or in groups.

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