Ochrosporae 



persistent hairy tufts or scales, dark violet. Lamellae rather thick, dis- Cortinarius. 

 tant, rounded or deeply notched at the inner extremity, colored like the 

 pileus in the young plant, brownish-cinnamon in the mature plant. 

 Stem solid, fibrillose, bulbous, colored like the pileus. Spores sub- 

 elliptical, 12.5/x, long. 



The Violet cortinarius is a very beautiful mushroom and one easy of 

 recognition. At first the whole plant is uniformly colored, but with age 

 the gills assume a dingy ochraceous or brownish-cinnamon hue. The 

 cap is generally well formed and regular and is beautifully adorned with 

 little hairy scales or tufts. These are rarely shown in figures of the 

 European plant, but they are quite noticeable in the American plant and 

 should not be overlooked. The flesh is more or less tinged with violet. 



The gills when young are colored like the cap. They are rather 

 broad, notched at the inner extremity and narrowed toward the margin 

 of the cap. When mature they become dusted with the spores whose 

 color they take 



The stem also is colored like the cap. It is swollen into a bulb at 

 the base and sometimes a faint ochraceous band may be seen near the 

 top. This is due to the falling spores which lodge on the webby fila- 

 ments of the veil remaining attached to the stem. 



Cap 2-4 in. broad. Stem 3-5 in. long, about % in. thick. Peck, 

 48th Rep. N. Y. State Bot. 



Minerva, Essex county. A form of this species occurs here, having 

 the pileus merely downy or punctate-hairy under a lens, no squamules 

 being distinguishable by the naked eye. July. Peck, 5oth Rep. N. Y. 

 State Bot. 



Spores i2-i4xioj. Cooke. 



The spider web veil is exquisitely displayed in this species. This, 

 with its strongly bulbous base and violet tinge throughout, easily mark 

 it. Though usually solitary great numbers of it are found in its settle- 

 ments. The mixed woods of central New Jersey abound with it in July, 

 August and September. Throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia 

 it is common, and is reported from several other states. In Redman's 

 woods, near Haddonfield, N. J., a densely clustered form of singular 

 beauty occurs. A dozen individuals of various forms and sizes with 

 swollen stems form a compact mass, rich in color, and cutting crisp and 

 juicy as an apple. They are far better than other Cortinarii I have 

 eaten. I have not seen it elsewhere. 



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