# Violet Webcap (*cortinarius violaceus*)

The Violet Webcap is a beautiful purple mushroom that grows in the woods. It's an exciting find for little explorers who love nature!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** It lives in moist, wooded areas, often under conifer trees.
- **Also known as:** Purple Mushroom, Violet Mushroom, Webcap Fungus

![Violet Webcap](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2008-08-22_Cortinarius_violaceus_%28L.%29_Gray_18241_crop.jpg&width=800)

Photo: This image was created by user Dan Molter (shroomydan) at Mushroom Observer , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user her, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008-08-22_Cortinarius_violaceus_%28L.%29_Gray_18241_crop.jpg)

## Appearance

The Violet Webcap has a deep, almost velvety purple cap, sometimes with reddish-brown tones as it ages. Its robust stem is also purple, showcasing a distinct cobweb-like partial veil (cortina) that leaves rust-brown spore deposits. This vibrant color makes it stand out from most forest fungi.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Cortinariaceae
- **Genus:** Cortinarius

## Interesting facts

- It forms a secret partnership with trees, sharing food underground!
- Its cap feels like velvet, a truly unique texture in the forest!
- The Violet Webcap can be a nature detective's most vibrant find!
- This mushroom's stem often wears a 'skirt' of rust-brown spores!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Partner:** Violet Webcap has a secret underground network because it partners with tree roots, sharing nutrients to help both grow strong.
- **Vibrant Signal:** Violet Webcap can glow vibrant purple because its unique pigments make it a standout discovery in the shadowy forest.
- **Spore Spreader:** Violet Webcap has rust-brown spores that help them spread far and wide, ensuring new webcap colonies can thrive.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 6-15 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 5-15 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late summer to late fall
- **Spore Color:** Rust-brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Norway Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/norway-spruce) (*Picea abies*) — exchanges nutrients with its roots
- **Symbiotic with:** [Silver Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silver-birch) (*Betula pendula*) — helps birch trees absorb more water
- **Symbiotic with:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — shares vital minerals with pine trees

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not touch or eat wild mushrooms without adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Violet Webcap?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Violet Webcap?

6-15 cm

### Is Violet Webcap edible?

inedible

### How big is Violet Webcap?

5-15 cm

### Where is Violet Webcap usually found?

It lives in moist, wooded areas, often under conifer trees.

### What does Violet Webcap grow on?

soil

### When is Violet Webcap in season?

Late summer to late fall

### What color are Violet Webcap spores?

Rust-brown

## Where to spot

- [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pinecone-burke-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Violet Webcap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/violet-webcap)