Thaxterogaster occidentalis

Thaxterogaster occidentalis
In Little Skookum, Mason Co., Washington, US, under mature western red cedar and vine maple
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Cortinariaceae
Genus:	Thaxterogaster
Species:	T. occidentalis
Binomial name
Thaxterogaster occidentalis A.H.Sm. Niskanen & Liimat. (2022)
Synonyms [1]
Cortinarius occidentalisA.H. Sm. (1939) Cortinarius purpurascens var. obscurus M.M. Moser (1953) Phlegmacium occidentale(A.H.Sm.) M.M. Moser (1953)

Thaxterogaster occidentalis, commonly known as the western purple-staining webcap, ^[2] The gills are adnexed to notched. ^[2] is a species of fungus in the family Cortinariaceae. ^[3]

Taxonomy

It was described in 1939 by the American mycologist Alexander H. Smith who classified it as Cortinarius occidentalis. ^[3]

In 2022 the species was transferred from Cortinarius and reclassified as Thaxterogaster occidentalis based on genomic data. ^[4]

Description

The cap of Thaxterogaster occidentalis is about 3-5.6 centimeters in diameter and purple in color. It is slimy, ^[5] and starts out round or convex. It expands in age. ^[2] The gills are purplish in color and adnate. ^[2] The stipe is about 3.2-5.5 centimeters long and 0.9-1.1 centimeters wide at the top. It is wider at the base. ^[5] A cortina is present, and the spore print is rusty brown. The inside of the mushroom is purple and stains darker purple. ^[2]

Habitat and distribution

Thaxterogaster occidentalis
Mycological characteristics
	Gills on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Hymenium is adnate
	Stipe has a cortina
	Spore print is reddish-brown
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is unknown

Thaxterogaster occidentalis is native to the Northern Hemisphere.

References

1. "Cortinarius occidentalis A.H. Sm". Index Fungorum. CAB International. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
2. Siegel, Noah; Schwarz, Christian (September 1, 2024). Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Humboldt County, CA: Backcountry Press. p. 200. ISBN   9781941624197.
3. "Species Fungorum - Thaxterogaster occidentalis (A.H. Sm.) Niskanen & Liimat". www.speciesfungorum.org. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
4. Liimatainen, Kare; Kim, Jan T.; Pokorny, Lisa; Kirk, Paul M.; Dentinger, Bryn; Niskanen, Tuula (2022-01-01). "Taming the beast: a revised classification of Cortinariaceae based on genomic data". Fungal Diversity. 112 (1): 89–170. doi:10.1007/s13225-022-00499-9. hdl: 2299/25409 . ISSN   1878-9129. S2CID   247098340.
5. Adams, Shannon. "Cortinarius occidentalis (SDA 368)". North American Cortinarius Collections. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-09.