Tag Archives: Viscid Violet Cortinarius

Mushroom COLOR!

Viscid Violet Cortinarius (Cordtinarius iodes), is a gorgeous mushroom, ranging from white to lavender to violet purple, fading in color with age.

It’s a fungus that pairs up with roots of a plant in a symboitic relationship. In this case the Viscid Violet Cortinarius works along with the roots of Oak trees. This mushroom helps the tree absorb water and nourishment, and the tree passes along sugars and amino acids to the mushroom. Both tree and fungus benefiting from this arrangement.

Living here in the woods has been such an education. Learning that mushrooms come in such lovely colors – what a surprise!

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What Color?

Viscid Violet Cortinarius (Cortinarius indes).

Purple. Or as the common name suggests, Violet. Rich enough around the edge that I don’t think I could call it lavender. No matter the label, I can feel safe in calling it beautiful. Who would have thought a mushroom could be such a lovely color.

Part of the world of mycorrhizal fungi. Symbiotic relationships are formed between these fungi and plants. The fungi surround the root system of a host plant, with a network of their own roots, providing benefit of nutrient and water intake abilities while the plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates which is from photosynthesis. Oak is a favored host plant.

Mushrooms seem to come in every color of the rainbow.