Violet webcaps Cortinarius spec.
poisonous
They have a cobweb-like veil (cortina) and a rust-brown spore print; their gills do not detach easily.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The gassy webcap is a sturdy webcap with lilac veil remnants, an unpleasant smell of acetylene or coal gas and saffron to ochre-yellow flesh. It is inedible and not suitable for the kitchen.
SeasonAugust to November
Spore printrust brown
FamilyCortinariaceae
- Cap. The cap is 5 to 12 cm wide, pale lilac to grey-violet, with a moist veil when young and often cracked with age.
- Underside. The gills are pale when young, later rusty brown, broad and distant.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is thick and pale lilac, with distinct lilac veil girdles and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It smells unpleasantly of acetylene or coal gas and tastes bitter; do not taste it.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is saffron to ochre yellow, marbled violet in the stem.
Lookalikes
It smells strongly unpleasant, tastes bitter and is inedible, so do not collect it as an edible mushroom.
Sordid blewit Lepista sordida
edible with restrictions
It is smaller and a paler lilac.
View on the mapWood blewit Lepista nuda
edible
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It smells sweetly perfumed, and its spore print is pale pink. The gassy webcap, by contrast, smells unpleasantly of acetylene or coal gas, has rust-brown gills and a veil.
View on the mapSide by side
| Gassy webcap | Sordid blewit | Wood blewit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 5 to 12 cm wide, pale lilac to grey-violet | 3 to 8 cm, lilac to grey-brown | 5 to 15 cm, violet when young, later grey-brown |
| Underside | gills pale when young, later rust brown | gills lilac to grey-lilac | gills violet to lilac, crowded, easily detached |
| Stem | thick, pale lilac | lilac to brownish, fibrous | violet, fibrous, base often bulbous |
| Flesh | saffron to ochre yellow, marbled violet in stem | pale lilac, thin-fleshed | lilac to bluish white, soft |
| Edibility | Inedible | edible with restrictions | edible |
Habitat & Season
Acidic to neutral forest soils, often mossy. From the hills to the mountains.
Host trees
Spruce, pine, birch in mixed stands.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
In coniferous and mixed woods.
Mushroom regions with a daily forecast
There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
Emergency: 112
Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).
Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.
Austria
Poison centre:
Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43
Emergency: 112 · 144
Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.
Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.
Why it is not edible
Bitter, revolting smell, no culinary value.
Do not mistake it for edible gilled mushrooms such as the wood blewit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the gassy webcap edible?
No, the gassy webcap is not edible. It smells strongly unpleasant and tastes bitter, so do not collect it for the kitchen.
When and where does the gassy webcap grow?
The gassy webcap grows from August to November in coniferous and mixed woods on acidic to neutral, often mossy forest soils, mostly near spruce, pine and birch.
Which look-alikes can the gassy webcap be mistaken for?
It can be mistaken for the wood blewit, for violet webcaps and for the sordid blewit. The wood blewit smells sweetly perfumed and has a pale pink spore print, whereas the gassy webcap smells unpleasantly of acetylene or coal gas, has rust-brown gills and a veil. Violet webcaps have a cobweb-like veil (cortina) and a rust-brown spore print, and their gills do not detach easily. The sordid blewit is smaller and a paler lilac.
How do you recognise the gassy webcap?
The spore print is rust brown. The cap is 5 to 12 cm wide, pale lilac to grey-violet, with a moist veil when young and often cracked with age.
Related species
- Deadly webcap Cortinarius rubellus
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Original uploader was Zp at cs.wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Violet webcaps: Photo: Bernypisa · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
- Sordid blewit: Photo: Mushroom Observer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wood blewit: Photo: G (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.