About this fungus
Sordid Blewit is a fungus in the Clitocybaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small, thin-fleshed blewit with lilac to violet cap, gills and stem that often fade towards pinkish-brown or tan, growing in grass, leaf litter or rich disturbed ground.
What to check
Confirm there is no ring or cobweb-like veil and take a spore print from a mature specimen. Collybia sordida produces a cream to very pale pink print, while purple Cortinarius species produce rusty-brown spores that also colour the mature gills and veil remnants. Size and purple colour alone are not reliable.
Variation
Fresh young fruit bodies can be strongly violet, but sun, age and dry weather quickly fade the cap from the centre towards brown, tan or pinkish-grey. The species overlaps with other blewits in size and form.
Lookalikes
Collybia nuda, still widely known as Lepista nuda, is generally larger and more robust but can overlap. Purple Cortinarius species may have a cortina or rusty deposits and are mycorrhizal with trees. Pale-spored blewit characters help separate the genera, but exact species identification may still require microscopy.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic in grassland, gardens, woodland litter, compost and other rich organic ground, often in troops or fairy rings. It is widespread across temperate regions and can occur in disturbed habitats.
Food safety
Edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.