Mushroom expert Hoffmeister puts the reason for that in a nutshell: ‘Cortinarius mushrooms are extraordinary chemists.’ They synthesize a variety of natural products, including anthraquinones.

The purple Cortinarius mushroom, right, is part of a diverse and little-researched genus of fungi in Montana. Most are poisonous. Rob Chaney ...

The University of Arizona is crediting one of its students for discovering a rare, purple mushroom.

An ectomycorrhizal Cortinarius mushroom growing in a forest in Colombia. This is an example of a species that has been identified -- a rarity based on the findings of this review.

University of Arizona senior Caitlin Dowd found a bright purple mushroom in the Mount Lemmon area. The species is rare; Dowd learned that her discovery was one of only four ...

An ectomycorrhizal Cortinarius mushroom growing in a forest in Colombia. This is an example of a species that has been identified -- a rarity based on the findings of this review. Mycorrhizal ...