Phlegmacium boreicyanites

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Phlegmacium boreicyanites is a mushroom found in boreal forests of northern Europe. It was first described in 2014 as Cortinarius boreicyanites by Ilkka Kytövuori, Kare Liimatainen, and Andy Taylor, from a specimen collected in Sweden in 1990. In 2022 scientists moved it to the genus Phlegmacium based on DNA data. The name reflects its relation to Cortinarius cyanites and its northern distribution.

Description:
The cap is 4–10 cm wide, starting spherical to convex and then flattening with age. It is bluish grey when young, fading to pale greyish brown. The gills are greyish blue in youth and turn brownish violet as they age. The stem is 5–10 cm long and 1–2 cm thick at the top, widening toward the base; it is club-shaped, greyish blue, with pale greyish brown ring-like bands from the veil. The flesh is violet when young, turning white to brownish white with marbling in the cap and base; exposure to air can give a wine-red color. It has no distinctive smell.

Ecology and habitat:
Phlegmacium boreicyanites forms mycorrhizal relationships with trees, mainly Norway spruce, birch, and poplar. In Scotland it has also been found with rockrose. It fruits in autumn in boreal mixed forests of northern Europe.

Distribution and type evidence:
The species is associated with boreal forests in northern Europe. The reference specimen (holotype) was collected on 24 July 1990 from Böle, Ragunda, Sweden, and is kept at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

Microscopic features (brief):
Its spores are small, almond-shaped, and turgid with wrinkled surfaces, about 9–10 by 5–6 micrometers. The basidia are four-spored. These microscopic traits help identify this species within its group.