C. violaceifolia can be distinguished from its choice-edible cousin, the wood blewit, by its association with trees in the cypress family.

According to California mycologist Alan Rockefeller, C. violaceifolia "smells like mud".

[3] Murrill's description was "Pileus convex, somewhat gibbous, solitary, 3 cm.

broad; surface slightly viscid when moist, smooth, glabrous, grayish-violet tinted with brown at the center, margin entire, slightly paler; lamellae very narrow, adnexed to slightly decurrent, rather crowded, arcuate, pale-violet; spores ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, 7-8 X 3.5-4.5; stipe equal, fleshy, solid, smooth, glabrous, grayish-violet, mycelioid at the base, 3 cm.

"[3] The western cypress blewit has been documented in Oregon, California, and Arizona.