Plate XII.
Figs. 1 to 4.—Cortinarius (Inoloma) violaceus Fr. "Violet Cortinarius."
Edible.
Cap fleshy, at first convex, then nearly plane, dotted with hairy tufts or scales, margin at first involute, color purple or dark violet, flesh soft, purplish; gills distant, broad, adnate, somewhat rounded near the stem, at first purplish violet, changing to an ochraceous or brownish cinnamon color as the plant matures; stem solid, somewhat bulbous at the base, purple; cortina or veil white or tinged with violet, sometimes bluish.
This is a handsome species, and though it is somewhat rare in many localities, its pretty and unusual coloring does not allow it to be easily overlooked. It is edible, and has a mushroomy taste when raw. Agaricus nudus Bull, a purple species with white spores, is sometimes confounded with it. There are other purple species of Cortinarius not so pleasant to the taste, which bear some resemblance to C. violaceus. The specimens figured in [Plate XII] were gathered near Dedham, Mass., on open ground on the border of a stretch of pine woods.
Figs. 5 to 7.—Cortinarius (Phlegmacium) cærulescens.
Edible.
Cap fleshy, at first convex, then plane, surface even, viscid; color bluish or violet; gills adnexed and crowded, at first bluish, changing to violet or purplish hues; stem solid, short, and thick, with a broadly bulbous base, same color as the cap; veil filmy, single. In woods and on the borders of woods. This mushroom varies in color, the bluish or purplish tints being quite susceptible to atmospheric changes. When growing in the shade or well-sheltered places, it is much darker in hue than when exposed unsheltered to the bright sunlight. The specimen figured in [Plate XII] was gathered on low ground near a pine grove in Essex County, Mass.
Cortinarius (Phlegmacium) purpurascens Fr. bears a slight resemblance to cærulescens, but can be distinguished from it by the spotted or zoned character of the cap and the broadly emarginate gills.