MYCOLOGIA 



Vol. XI November, 1919 No. 6 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF FUNGI— XXXI 



William A. Murrill 



The three species of gill-fungi shown on the accompanying 

 plate are all edible and conspicuous by reason of their size or 

 brilliant coloring. It is unfortunate that more space is not avail- 

 able for their adequate representation. 



Cortinarius alboviolaceus (Pers.) Fries 

 Pale-violet Cortinarius 



Plate 13- Figure i. X i 



Pileus fleshy, bell-shaped to convex w^ith a broad umbo, gre- 

 garious, 3-6 cm. broad ; surface smooth, dry, shining, appressed- 

 silky, pale-violaceous to caesious-buff, soon becoming silvery- 

 w^hite with a violet tint ; margin persistently decurved ; context 

 caesious or violet-tinted, of mild flavor ; lamellae adnate to emar- 

 ginate or slightly decurrent, rather broad, crowded, pale-violet to 

 ashy-purplish when young, soon becoming paler and at length cin- 

 namon-brown, eroded-crenulate on the edges ; spores ellipsoid, 

 rusty-brown, variable in size, slightly roughened, 6.5-9 X 4-5 /^^ ; 

 stipe tapering upward from a thickened base, spongy-stuffed, 4-8 

 cm. long, 5-20 mm. thick, violaceous above, usually peronate by 

 the universal veil, which is thin, soft, white, appressed, and silky- 

 interwoven. 



This pretty, pale-violet species is common in late summer and 

 autumn among leaves or humus in thick woods throughout most 

 of temperate North America and Europe. It grows gregariously 

 and is abundant enough to use for food. I have often eaten it in 



[Mycologia for September (11 : 231-287) was issued October 18, 1919] 



289 



