Thanks for your continuing support and interest. KK

My proposal of C salor (the best look-alike I knew) was primarily made to overrule the obvious mistake (C violaceus). I have removed it now, when a much better suggestion came up.
It’s definitely a Myxacium with a slimy cap and stem when moist, shining when dry.

Thanks Karl, for entering this exciting site!

These images were taken two days after the original images posted. The gill colouring is quite significant I believe. Hope these images help.

For those who do not know, Karl Soop is a well known mycologist and an authority on Cortinarius. He is from Sweden, but lately specializes on Cortinarius from the Southern Hemisphere. He spent some time down in New Zealand recently. I suspect that there’s nobody who knows this Genus better than him down there.

Karl Thank you for your excellent comments. I am a nature photographer in Australia and have been posting images I have taken over a period. Till lately I did not realise the importance of proper identification and methods associated with identification. Next season I hope to present a more professional image and description. I photograph in addition to Fungi, Birdlife and macro insects and flora. I did not have any idea how much I did not know till becoming a “learning” member of M.O. :::::
“Added description”
. These fungi did have a dry cap throughout their growth and were surrounded by Austalian eucalypts (Stringy-bark, Tallow-wood, Spotted Gum, Iron bark and Bloodwood. ) They were in a cleared area that had previously been peppered with fallen trees that had been on the ground for about 15 years. I have not located the fungi in any other part of my 25acre property.

Without data about viscidity, spore sizde and ornamentation, shape of cystidia as well as biotope (introduced trees? Nothofagus? Eucalyptus?) it is not possible to say with certainty what species of Cortinarius it is. Being new to this forum I am not sure if these data are given somewhere on the site, but the collector said "Description deemed unnecessary. ", so I presume not.

Molecular research has demonstrated that there are virtually no mycorrizal species common to the North and South hemispheres. It is true that there are reports that C. salor (being boreal) has been collected in Papua New Guinea (Horak & Wood 1990), but it is extremely unlikely that this fungus is found in Australia unless introduced or adventive.

If the fungus is indigenous and dry (not glutinous), there are about 6 species of the C. violaceus group that are endemic to the Sth Hemisphere, 2 of which occur in Australia but are so far unpublished. They conform to the general coloration of your collections, but should have prominent cystidia. Some in this group have quite smooth caps.

If the fungus is indigenous and slimy, and found under Eucalyptus, it is extremely likely that it is C. atcheri, as suggested by other members, a very common fungus in Australia.

Best regards
Karl Soop

I have just come across an image that relates closely to the posting. It is again in Bruce Fuhrer’s Australian Fungi Book. I really think this is a remarkably close representation. The naming is; Cortinarius archeri I will include his description that accompanies the image,— Caps to 100mm across, convex at first, becoming broadly convex to flattened or slightly upturned. Cap,and stem below the membranous ring, are very glutinous when moist, and dry with a satiny sheen. The bright purple caps gradually fade to purplish brown and finally brown. Widespread, and fairly common in eucalypt forest. Spores c. 14 × 10 micro m, almond-shaped, finely warty. Spore print rust brown. This description does fit with what I watched over several days of the fungi maturing.

I have enlarged a section for gill examination if it will help. Thanks all who had an input.

I agree that this colection looks like a Myxacium in the general drection of C. salor, but I wouldn’t venture as far as calling it that. At most cf. salor. Had we been able to see some spores then this id might have made have had more legs to stand on. That group of species around S. salor has subglobose spores, which are fairly distinct.

Thanks Deb. I am now a happy little Indian error Ozzie

Colors are well within range of a cort. Don’t know which Cort species it is though, exactly, and you certainly have a lot of other kinds of pretty, purpley-blue mushrooms in Australia!

Smooth cap makes it not a violaceus:
http://mushroomobserver.org/name/show_name/2041

To ID: all Corts have a partial veil (often “cobwebby” in nature) covering the gills when the mushroom is young, and show a rusty-brown spore drop when mature. The spore drop is visible in your photo on the upper stem, and on the remnants of the partial veil.

Definitely not C. violaceus with a smooth and shining cap.
My suggestion is some variety of Cortinarius salor, belonging to the section Myxacium with a slimy veil.