Little Blue Knight
This little gem will stop you in your tracks. It is a seldom-seen inhabitant of PNW conifer forests that is sometimes found along trails or banks of forest service roads. The species is in the order Russulales, family Scutigeraceae and was first circumscribed in 2016 by Audet and Luther. It is sufficiently rare that it is considered near-threatened by the IUCN. It is an ectomycorrhizal species that nearly always associates with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) though possibly other species. Caps tend to be in the 3-9 cm range, occasionally larger. The color is light blue to bluish gray, aging to brownish and often showing orangish or yellowish blotches in maturity. Caps are smooth and dry, and often lobed or irregular in shape. The pore surface is whitish to bluish white, with pores that are angular, small and somewhat decurrent. Stipes may be as much as 6 cm and central or eccentric. They are bluish, dry, cylindrical and taper towards the base. They may show orangish staining. The flesh is thin, white or bluish. There is no definite odor and the taste is mild. It's spore print is white and it stains red with KOH.