| Cortinarius purpureocapitatus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Cortinariaceae |
| Genus: | Cortinarius |
| Species: | C. purpureocapitatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cortinarius purpureocapitatus X. Yue Wang, J.A. Cooper, A.R. Nilsen & Orlovich | |
Cortinarius purpureocapitatus is a species of purple pouch fungus in the genus Cortinarius . It is endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. [1] [2]
The species was described in 2020 by Xinyue Wang, Jerry A Cooper, Andy R Nilsen and David A Orlovich. [1] The holotype specimen was collected on the New Zealand Fungal Foray in 2016 on the Glacier Burn Track in Glenorchy, by New Zealand writer and editor Anna Chinn. [1]
This species produces secotioid fruit bodies. The pileus ranges from 25 to 45 mm in diameter, can be pear-shaped to almost rounded with an incurved margin that is not attached to the stipe at maturity. The pileus is slimy, violet to dark violet, occasionally with a reddish hue, and is not hygrophanous. The gleba is loculate, with the locules (compartments) up to 3 mm long and ellipsoid in shape. There are white to pale violet tramal plates extending almost to the edge of the pileus. The stipe continues into the pileus as a columella. The stipe is 30–90 mm long and 8–14 mm wide, centrally attached, equal to subclavate in shape, white to pale lavender in colour, with a surface that is longitudinally striate, and having a fragile attachment to the sporocarp. The stipe context is white to white with a violaceus sheen especially at the base. The tissue of the cutis and stipe do not show any reaction to the addition of potassium hydroxide. [1] Cortinarius purpureocapitatus is distinguished from the other purple secotioid species in New Zealand by the combination of having tramal plates and smooth spores. [1]
Cortinarius purpureocapitatus occurs in forests and is found in both the North and South Island of New Zealand. It is an ectomycorrhizal fungus, associated with Nothofagus species including red beech ( N. fusca ), mountain beech ( N. cliffortioides ) and hard beech ( N. truncata ). [1]
The specific epithet purpureocapitatus derives from the Latin purpureo meaning purple and capitatus meaning head or headed. This refers to the purple colour of the pileus. [1]