Cortinarius occidentalis (SDA 368)

Cortinarius occidentalis A.H. Smith., Contributions from the University of Michigan Herbarium 2: 15 (1939)
Synonyms: Cortinarius mutabilis

Collection date: 13 October 2018

Collector: Shannon Adams
Location: King County, Skykomish area, WA, USA.
Habitat: Abies, Mountain Hemlock, Western Hemlock

Description:

Pileus: 30-56mm across. Viscid, lavender grey cap with darker purple appressed fibrils.  With age the center of the cap becomes buff.            Flesh: Lilac to lavender grey with streaks of darker purple tones. Lamellae: purple to purple buff in age, bruising darker purple where handled. Cortina: lavender Stipe: Surface is light lavender buff bruising deep lavender blue when handled. Length 32-55mm and 9-11mm at stipe apex.  Clavate with swollen base. Chemical tests: KOH hyaline on all parts. Taste: mild

ITS:  Almost identical to Smith’s Cortinarius occidentalis MICH 10382 ITS region; from TYPE material – with only 1 gap different over a 678 pair alignment. The query sequence included some LSU and was longer than type sequence, resulting in an 81% query cover.