Deadly Webcap

Cortinarius rubellus Cooke

2 Observations

3 weeks ago Last Observed

The Deadly Webcap (Cortinarius rubellus) is a slender orange-brown mushroom, and among the most poisonous in Britain. Its finely scaly cap has a pointed central bump and a paler edge, and the widely spaced gills turn from orange-brown to rusty brown as the spores ripen. When young, the gills are hidden by a cobweb-like veil, and the orange-brown to reddish-brown stem is ringed with paler bands of veil.

It grows in conifer woods on poor, acidic, mossy soil, from July into November. It is frequent in Scotland and also found in some southern forests.

Its poison, orellanine, attacks the kidneys, and symptoms can take days or even weeks to appear, by which time the damage may be permanent. It has been mistaken for the Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), which has blunt, forked ridges instead of true gills. No webcap should ever be eaten or tasted.

Spore Print

Season

Native

deadly

Distribution

Frequent in Scotland but also found in some southern forests

Habitat

In conifer woods on poor acidic, mostly mossy soil

Etymology

Cortinarius is from the Latin cortina, 'curtain', after the cobweb-like veil over the young gills. rubellus is Latin for 'reddish'.

Associates

Betula, Fagus, Picea, Pinus

Cap

The cap is orange-brown, 4-8 cm across, umbonate, with a dry, finely scaly surface. The margin is paler and often slightly rolled down.

Colour
Shape	Umbonate
Surface	Squamose
Width	4 - 8 cm

Gills

Widely spaced; orange-brown, becoming rusty brown, and hidden under a cobweb-like veil when young.

Colour
Attachment	Adnate
Spacing	distant

Flesh

Pale yellow to yellowish-brown.

Colour
Odour	Faint raphanoid
Taste	Mild

Stem

The stem is orange-brown to reddish-brown, 5-9 cm long and 8-15 mm wide, club-shaped to tapering and often slightly bowed. It carries paler belted bands of veil, giving a banded, snakeskin-like pattern.