Wood blewit 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.

Cap 5-15 cm across, when young convex with an inrolled margin, becoming with age flat and spreading. The cap skin is smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather. Color vivid violet or lilac-violet when young, less often with a pink tint; with age it fades to brownish-violet, then to brownish-cream with violet traces at the margin. The margin is even, inrolled when young.

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.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are adnate or slightly decurrent, very crowded, thin. Color distinctly violet-lilac when young, brownish-violet to brownish-cream with age, with a greenish-pink tint when mature. Spore print pale pink to creamy pink — characteristic of the genus Lepista.

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.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, firm, fleshy, cylindrical, thickening toward the base. Color violet to lilac-violet, often paler lower down, with whitish mycelium at the base. The surface is smooth with fine lengthwise fibers. No ring.

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.

Flesh firm; thin in the cap, thick in the stem, violet-whitish to pale lilac. Doesn't change color when cut or slowly fades to grayish-violet. Smell pleasant, sweetish and perfumed, reminiscent of lilac or violet, with a hint of anise, taste sweet at first, then mildly mushroomy.

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

A distinct, pleasant, sweetish-perfumed smell — reminiscent of lilac, violet or a touch of anise. A helpful clue, but not a decisive one: the violet webcap smells faintly of cedar, and some lilac webcaps (Cortinarius camphoratus, C. traganus) smell strong and unpleasant. So check the smell together with the spore print colour.