Fungus · GBIF taxon 3350173
Viscid Violet Cort
Cortinarius iodesAlso known as Spotted Cort, Spotted Violet Cort
Viscid violet corts emerge in eastern North American deciduous forests during summer and autumn, displaying striking slime-coated purple caps that fade to golden spots with age. Beneath the cap, delicate cobwebby cortina veils protect young violet gills before rusty brown spores mature and dust the stalk. These mycorrhizal fungi form essential subterranean partnerships with oak and beech trees, exchanging soil nutrients for carbohydrates.
FungusSlimy CapForest Floor
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Mycorrhizal
Predators
- Fungus Gnats
- Slugs
- Forest Rodents
ThreatsDeforestation and soil disturbance
HabitatsDeciduous and mixed hardwood forests
Life spanFruit bodies last several days; underground mycelium persists for years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCortinariaceae
- SpeciesCortinarius iodes
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Look for the sticky slime layer and yellowish spots on mature purple caps.
- Spore Print: Place the cap gill-side down on white paper to verify the rusty brown spore color.
- Habitat Location: Search damp leaf litter beneath mature oak and beech trees after rain.
Look-Alike 
Host Plant (c) Alicia Ballard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Host Plant (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-saClose Relative Close Relative
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