Goliath Webcap

Cortinarius praestans

Deciduous, (rarely) coniferous forests. Summer, autumn.

Fruiting bodies large. Cap 10-15 (20) cm across, slimy, when grown matt, fleshy, dark brownish-greyish-violet, violet-chestnut, purplish-bluish-brown, chocolate-brown. Young gills violet, greyish, eventually reddish-brown, dark, adnate. Stem 5-15 (20) x 1.5-3 cm, thickening towards the base, swollen at the base, thickened to 5 cm across and more, bluish-violet, with fibres of the bluish veil, woolly, when old greyish, fibrous. Flesh whitish, in the stem bluish, firm, with a pleasant smell and taste. Characteristic features: cap, gills and stem with a violet tinge; grows under oaks and hazels. Appears singly or in small groups in deciduous, rarely coniferous forests. Warmth-loving.