Pungent Cortinarius

Pungent Cortinarius | Cortinarius traganus - light brown gills.

Like the name suggests, Pungent Cortinarius (Cortinarius traganus) has a strong fruity odor. Its colour is a striking lilac that stands out in the darkness of the forest. The spore print of this mushroom is rusty brown in colour.

Pungent Cortinarius | Cortinarius traganus - striking lilac in colour.

Western Red-capped Cortinarius

Western Red-capped Cortinarius | Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis - showing gorgeous rich red gills.

We found a second Cortinarius at Merville Woods, the Western Red-capped Cortinarius (Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis) growing alongside the trail. This mushroom has a satiny reddish brown cap but its distinctive feature has to be its rich reddish gills. The spore print of this Cortinarius is rusty brown in colour.

Western Red-capped Cortinarius | Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis

Dotted-stalked Slippery Jack

Dotted-stalked Slippery Jack | Suillus granulatus - showing viscid gray/brown cap.

I’m reasonably certain that this is a Dotted-stalked Slippery Jack (Suillus granulatus). The cap was a slimy/slippery gray brown in colour and dried to a varnished brown. This boletus will sometimes, but not always, stain cinnamon when bruised – this one did not stain at all. The spore print was a dingy cinnamon brown colour. The Dotted-stalked Slippery Jack grows in association with pines so the habitat was definitely appropriate.

Dotted-stalked Slippery Jack | Suillus granulatus - non-staining or light cinnamon brown stain when bruised.

I’ll feature several other mushrooms from Merville Woods including a very cool Hydnellum and a revisit with the Rosy Gomphidius in an upcoming post. Of course there’ll be a few unknowns thrown into the mix as well!