Mushroom beds, manured soil in conservatories or in plant pots. Boston, Mass. R.K. Macadam. Haddonfield, N.J. C. McIlvaine.
This interesting species is closely allied to Cortinarius multiformis and belongs to the Section Phlegmacium. It has a slight odor of radishes and is pronounced edible by Mr. McIlvaine. Its habitat is peculiar, but it possibly finds its way into conservatories and mushroom beds through the introduction of manure or soil, or leaf mold from the woods. It seems strange, however, that it has not yet been detected growing in the woods or fields. Hebeloma fastibile is said sometimes to invade mushroom beds, and our plant resembles it in so many particulars that it is with some hesitation I separate it. The chief differences are in the stem and spores. The former, in Hebeloma fastibile, is described as solid and fibrous-squamose and the latter as 10×6 micromillimeters in size. The brighter color of the smaller spores and the stuffed or hollow smooth stem of our plant will separate it from this species. Peck, Bull. of the Torrey Bot. Club, October, 1896.
Cortinarius intrusus was a happy find. Several pints of it were collected by the author in February—usually a famine month for the mycophagist. They grew on the ground, in beds among plants, and with potted plants in a hot-house in Haddonfield, N.J. The crop continued well into the spring. The species is delicate, savory, and a most accommodating renegade from its kind. I have never found it elsewhere.
C. cærules´cens Fr. Pileus 2–3 in. across, equally fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, regular, even, almost glabrous, but often fibrilloso-streaked; viscid, when dry shining or opaque, dingy yellow, almost tan-colored, varying to yellowish-brown, etc. Gills slightly rounded behind, adnexed, thin, closely crowded, 2 lines broad, at first clear intense blue then becoming purplish, at length dingy cinnamon. Stem about 2 in. long, ½ in. thick (bulb more than an inch), firm, equally attenuated upward, at first fibrillose, bright violet, then becoming pale and whitish, naked, bulb often disappearing with age; veil fibrillose, fugacious. Spores elliptical, 9–10×5µ.
Amongst moss in woods, etc.
Neither the gills nor the flesh change color when broken, a point which distinguishes the present from C. purpurascens. When young every part is generally blue. Smell scarcely any. Fries.
Spores 10–12×5µ Cooke.
Haddonfield; West Virginia; Mt. Gretna, Pa. In woods September to frost. McIlvaine.
The American species seldom entirely loses the bluish-purple color of its cap. The beautiful color fades somewhat or becomes splotched with yellow. Neither does the bulb ordinarily disappear with age. It is common. Taste of cap is mild, somewhat woody. They require long, slow stewing, and are better made into patties and croquettes.