Crimson cobweb (Cortinarius purpurascens)
- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Cortinariaceae (Spiderwebs)
- Genus: Cortinarius (Spiderweb)
- Type: Cortinarius purpurascens (Purple webweed)
Crimson cobweb (Cortinarius purpurascens) – a mushroom, which, according to some sources, is edible, belongs to the genus Cobwebs, the family Spiders. The main synonym of its name is the French term The purple curtain.
The fruit body of the purple cobweb consists of a stem 6 to 8 cm long and a cap, the diameter of which is up to 15 cm. Initially, the cap has a convex shape, but in ripening mushrooms it becomes prostrate, sticky to the touch and flat. The flesh of the cap is characterized by its fibrous nature, and the color of the cap itself can vary from olive-brown to reddish-brown, with a slightly darker color in the central part. When the pulp is dried, the hat ceases to shine.
Mushroom pulp is characterized by a bluish tint, but when mechanically affected and cut, it acquires a purple color. The pulp of this mushroom, as such, has no taste, but the aroma is pleasant.
The girth of the stem of the fungus varies within 1-1.2 cm, the structure of the stem is very dense, at the base it acquires a tuberous swollen shape. The main color of the stem of the mushroom is purple.
The hymenophore is located on the inner surface of the cap, and consists of plates adhering to the stem with a tooth, initially purple in color, but gradually becoming rusty-brown or brownish. The plates contain a rusty-brown spore powder, consisting of almond-shaped spores covered with warts.
Active fruiting of the purple cobweb occurs in the autumn period. The fungus of this species can be found in mixed, deciduous or coniferous forests, mainly at the end of August and throughout September.
Information about whether the scarlet cobweb is edible is contradictory. Some sources say that this type of mushroom is allowed to be eaten, while others indicate that the fruiting bodies of this fungus are not suitable for eating, because they have low taste. Conventionally, the purple cobweb can be called edible, it is mainly eaten salted or pickled. The nutritional properties of the species have been little studied.
The crimson cobweb in its external characteristics is similar to some other varieties of cobwebs. The main distinguishing features of the species are the fact that the pulp of the described fungus, under mechanical action (pressure), changes its color to bright purple.