Cortinarius esculentus or Violet webcap

Cap 5-15 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin in young mushrooms, later becoming convex-flat with a low umbo. Color deep violet, inky purple, almost black in the center. Surface velvety-scaly, with fine violet-inky scales — a hallmark of the species. In damp weather it looks matte and velvety.

The cap of Cortinarius esculentus is small — from 3 to 7 centimeters across. When young it is convex to bell-shaped with an inrolled margin, opening out flat with age. The surface is smooth or finely fibrous, dry or slightly moist. The color is brown, yellowish-brown or clay-tan, darker in the center. Its modest brown color makes the mushroom inconspicuous and easy to confuse with other webcaps.

Gills — attached to the stem, moderately spaced, deep violet, darkening with age to purple-black, then to rusty brown as the spore powder ripens. Spore print rusty brown. In young mushrooms the gills are covered by a cobweb-like partial veil (cortina) with a purple tint.

The hymenophore is gilled. The gills are attached to the stem, fairly crowded, pale at first — clay-colored or pale brown — and take on a rusty-brown, brown tint from the spores as they mature. When young they are covered by a cobwebby veil (cortina), whose remnants settle on the stem. The spore print is rusty brown. Rusty gills and a cortina are the hallmarks of the webcaps.

Stem 8-12 cm tall, 1.5-2.5 cm thick, cylindrical, thick and fleshy, with a bulbous swelling at the base. Color deep violet, matching the cap, paler toward the base. The surface has fine violet fibers. Remnants of the cobwebby cortina on the stem — purple in young mushrooms, covered in rusty-brown spores in old ones.

The stem is cylindrical, 4 to 8 centimeters tall, whitish or pale brown, often with a fibrous band in the upper part — a trace of the cortina, on which rusty spore dust settles. There is no true ring. There is no volva. The surface is lengthwise fibrous.

Flesh firm, violet in young mushrooms, turning gray-violet to brownish with age. When cut, it does not change color. Smell faint, mushroomy; in some populations with a hint of cedar.

The flesh is whitish or pale brown and barely changes color when cut. The taste is mild, with no noticeable bitterness. Because this mushroom belongs to the treacherous webcap genus, the flesh is not a reliable guide: identifying it by taste or appearance alone is dangerous, so at the slightest doubt it is not eaten.

Faint, pleasant and mushroomy, with a subtle resinous or cedar note in some populations.

The smell is faint, mushroomy, with no sharp notes. The aroma is not a reliable feature for a safe identification. The mushroom is recognized by its brown cap, rusty gills with a cortina and banded stem, yet even these features demand a great deal of experience because of the risk of confusing it with deadly relatives.