#38 Cortinarius rotundisporus

A blue mushroom - beautiful! Blue is not a common colour amongst fungi, but the Cortinariaceae family features a few blueish species.

Cortinarius rotundisporus - Elegant Blue Webcap

Cortinarius rotundisporus (pronunciation: Court-in-air-ee-us row-tun-dee-spore-uss), has the very appropriate common name of Elegant Blue Webcab. The 'webcap' refers to the cortina, which is a partial veil consisting of a cobweb-like protective covering over the immature spore-bearing surface. Cortinas typically disintegrate as the mushroom matures, disappearing entirely, or leaving a ring-zone on the stem.

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The cap can grow to 70mm diameter, convex at first, flattening out, often turning up with age. It is a deep indigo blue, paling with age, eventually becoming a rusty-brown tinged with blue. At first, the cap is viscid (slimy), but dries with age. A broad greenish-yellow umbo (central swelling or 'bump') is usually present in mature specimens.

Gills are close together and of various lengths; pale lavender tinged with buff in young specimens, maturing to a rusty-brown. The stem is usually slender and can reach a height of 140mm with a diameter up to 20mm; bluish at the top, and white to yellow at the base; and can be slimy when young. Spore print is rusty-brown.

Cortinarius rotundisporus is reportedly a common species found singly or in groups on the ground in Eucalypt forests and woodlands in temperate Australia.

[Ref: "Fungi Down Under - the Fungimap Guide to Australian Fungi"]

A tiny convex fresh specimen with a maturing one

Caps expanding from convex through to flattening.
Note the yellowish umbo on the right-hand cap.

Caps flattening out - note rusty-brown spores
on stem, and cap of smaller fungus.

And the cap sometimes eventually turns up.

The cap turns a rusty-brown with age.
Note Aleurina ferruginea in the left of image.

Pale gills on a young fruit body. . . . .

. . . . .turning a slightly darker shade of lavender
tinged with buff. . . . .

. . . . .finally turning a rusty shade of brown.

My sightings of Cortinarius rotundisporus

[This will be updated with new sightings]

Brunkerville, NSW - Native forest, Jul 2010, May 2011, Jun 2011.

New England NP, NSW - Native forest, May.

#37 Amanita xanthocephala

This is the first Amanita I've featured on my blog, and it is not a typical Amanita - unlike most Amanitas, it has no ring on the stem.

Amanita xanthocephala (pronunciation: Aman-ee-ta zan-though-seff-allah) is a pretty forest fungus with orange cap and contrasting white gills. It's common name is Vermilion Grisette or Vermilion Amanita.

The orange/yellow/red cap is commonly 3 to 5 cms with a deeper colour towards the centre, and paler similar colour warts. The 'warts' are veil remnants and are generally in the centre of the cap. Initially, the cap is convex, flattening out. The cap margin is radially grooved.

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The stem is 2 to 6 cms, white to pale yellow, slender, and covered in fine white scales. Although there is no ring on the stem of this Amanita, orange remnants of the volva can be present. The volva (swollen base of stem) is white, but has an out-turned lip bordered in orange or yellow.

Gills are white to pale yellow, close together, and of various lengths. Spore print is white. Amanita xanthocephala is a native fungus found singly or in scattered groups on the ground amongst leaf litter in native forests.

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This Amanita is mycorrhizal, meaning it forms an association with the host plants' roots where both parties benefit.

A pretty specimen of Amanita xanthocephala
amongst leaf litter and lichen in Werakata National Park

Orange cap with central scales (remains of volva), and striations around margin. Note the orange rim of the volva at ground level.

Although Amanita xanthocephala does not have a stem ring, orange volva remnants can be left on the stem. Also, remnants of the volva can cling to the rim of the cap, as shown in the image below.

Features of the stem and gills. . . . .

. . .and a close-up of the orange out-turned lip of the
volva, and note the tiny white scales on the stem

A 1cm young Amanita xanthocephala top right of image

A faded aging specimen of Amanita xanthocephala

My sightings of Amanita xanthocephala

[This will be updated with new sightings]

Werakata National Park, Cessnock, NSW - on ground amongst leaf litter and lichen in Eucalypt/Leptospermum/Acacia woodland - Jul 2010, July 2011

Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae, NSW - amongst leaf litter in garden - Aug 2010, Jun 2011