Cortinarius lepidopus

Cortinarius lepidopus is a common webcap of Birch woodland which is probably widespread in West Glamorgan but under recorded. One reason for this is that it may be mistaken for Cortinarius anomalus which is similar and also grows with Birch. However, its fruiting bodies are more grey-brown and less blue-violet than those of Cortinarius anomalus and they are more slender, particularly in their stems which are thinner (4-8mm broad) and less robust. Unfortunately, because of variation and overlap, the differences between both can be quite subtle. Spores are almost spherical and coarsely verrucose.