Description
Cortinarius violaceus has a convex (becoming broadly convex, umbonate or flat) cap of 3.5 to 15 centimetres (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 centimetres (2.4 to 4.7 in) tall, while 1 to 2 centimetres (0.39 to 0.79 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 fibrils. 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 to 15 micrometres (0.00047 to 0.00059 in) by 7 to 8.5 micrometres (0.00028 to 0.00033 in), 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.
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