Cortinarius alboviolaceus, also called Silvery violet cort, has a convex to umbonate, fleshy, silvery violet cap. It grows with deciduous trees, but also found with conifers, often on acidic soil.
Cap at first domed and then shallowly convex with a broad umbo, the dry, silky caps vary in colour from almost white through pale lilac to pale mauve. The rather broad, sinuate, notched gills are medium spaced and light gray-blue to cinnamon-brown.
Stem The twisted, often club-shaped stem is often bowed rather than straight, is pale and fibrous with a slightly clavate (club-shaped) base and sometimes marked rust-brown around the veil zone by deposited spores.
Similar species Cortinarius malachius has a slightly scaly cap. It is associated with conifers, as are Cortinarius camphoratus and Cortinarius tranganus, which are noted for their penetrating smells; the former reminiscent of half-rotten potatoes, the latter sweet and sticky.
Cortinarius alboviolaceus on the First Nature Web site.
Cortinarius alboviolaceus on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.