Gassy Webcap

Cortinarius (Sericeocybe) traganus

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Mushrooms

By Roger Phillips

Published 2006

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Gassy Webcap Cortinarius (Sericeocybe) traganus (Fr.) Fr. (illustrated 40% life size) Cap 4–12cm across, convex then expanded; pale lilaceous at first, soon becoming pale ochraceous to rusty-pallid from the centre out; finely silky scaly at first, with velar remnants adhering to margin, later silky smooth. Stem 60–120×10–20mm, 15–30mm wide at clavate-bulbous base; lilaceous, becoming white to ochraceous then rusty from base up, covered in patches of the lilaceous veil which discolour ochraceous; cortina lilaceous. Flesh yellowish-buff in cap, marbled tawny in stem; taste slightly bitter, smell often strongly sickly sweet. Gills adnexed; pale ochre-buff at first, later tawny to rusty. Spores 8–10×5–6¼, elliptical, rough. Spore print rust. Habitat in pine woods; late summer to autumn. Rare, but not infrequent in native Scottish pine woods. Suspect avoid. Note the colour violet is not captured well on Kodak film, becoming too pink; it should be strong lavender-violet.