Lethal webcaps
| Lethal webcaps | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Deadly webcap, Cortinarius rubellus | |
 |
|
| Fool's webcap, Cortinarius orellanus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Homobasidiomycetae |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Cortinariaceae |
| Genus: | Cortinarius |
| Species: | C. rubellus C. orellanus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Cortinarius rubellus Cooke |
|
|
Cortinarius orellanus Fries |
|
| Cortinarius rubellus | |
|---|---|
| Mycological characteristics | |
 |
gills on hymenium |
 |
cap is umbonate |
 |
hymenium is adnexed |
 |
stipe has a cortina |
 |
spore print is brown |
 |
ecology is mycorrhizal |
 |
edibility: deadly |
The Orellani are a group of seven related species in the genus Cortinarius that have been classified as a section of the subgenus Leprocybe or a subgenus in their own right. They are among world's most poisonous mushrooms as they contain the highly toxic compound orellanine. The best-known species are the deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus, formerly also known as C. speciosissimus or C. orellanoides) and the fool's webcap, C. orellanus.
The mushrooms' characteristics are quite common, making them difficult to identify, which often leads to fatal poisonings. Young examples of the species often have a veil between the cap of the mushroom and the stem. This veil looks like a cobweb, hence the name. The veil however partially or completely disappears in older specimens. Some other characteristics for each of the mushrooms are given below.
Spore color: Rusty brown to orange
Cap: 3–7 cm rusty brown to orange. Often has a steeper and darker colored elevation at the top of the cap, but this varies greatly from specimen to specimen
Gills: Wide gaps between the gills which can be, but are not necessarily, connected to the stem
Location: Rare, but common in temperate parts of northern Europe. Has been encountered as far north as Finnish Lapland.
Habitat: pine woods with acidic soil
Other details: Young specimens contain a pale web between the cap and the stem. Sometimes parts of this web can be seen as a yellow ring on the stem or at the edge of the cap. The fruiting body of the mushroom blossoms from mid-summer to late autumn.
Cortinarius rainierensis, described in 1950 by Alex H. Smith and Daniel Elliot Stuntz from material collected Mount Rainier National Park, is a synonym.
...
Wikipedia