Cortinarius saturninus

Description

Cortinarius saturninus is characterized by the evanescent purple hues on the stem and flesh, the non-scaly cap, and the narrow spores, up to 12 µm long, with fine to medium wartiness. The cap is dark reddish-brown, forming rings in different shades. It grows in deciduous (oak, beech) and less often in mixed forests. Considered a poisonous mushroom.

This genus Cortinarius is highly variable and not easily identified in the field.

Common names: Webcap Mushroom, Klebriger Gürtelfuß (German), Kousevoetgordijnzwam (Netherlands), Pavučinec Modromasý (Czech Republic).

Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   3-7 cm in diameter, initially hemispherical or wide-bell-shaped, later convex-spreading. The surface is felty at first, later it is bare, smooth, brown, near the edge it is dark brown, and when it dries, it fades to reddish-yellowish.

2. Gills

   The hymenophore is lamellar. The gills are wide, at first purple-gray, later reddish-brown, with a jagged edge. The cobweb cover (cortina) is whitish, quickly disappearing.

3. Stem

   5-7 cm high, 0.5-1 (2) cm in diameter, cylindrical, solid, smooth, silky, purple above, grayish below, with white downy pubescence at the base.

4. Flesh

   The flesh is purplish-whitish, dark purple at the top of the stem, purple-brown at the base of the stem, sweet to the taste, without a pronounced smell.

5. Spores

   10-12 * 5-6.5 μm, spindle-oval in shape, with a finely warted surface.

6. Spore Print

   Rusty brown.

7. Habitat

   It grows from September to November, in deciduous forests, sparse forests, plantations, under poplars, and aspens.

Look-Alikes

1. Cortinarius biformis

   Fruiting bodies are smaller, less fibrous, cap-pointed, slightly ribbed, and sometimes with brick red flakes. Has a thinner and longer trunk with ochre-colored bands and a characteristic narrow purple apex area, and grows in coniferous forests (under spruce and pine).

2. Cortinarius castaneus

   Slightly smaller, characterized by the typical dark chestnut color of the cap, with a rapidly fading cortex and lavender tinge on the upper parts of young leaves and stems.

3. Cortinarius lucorum

   Larger, more saturated violet hue, rich white veil, leaving a felted edge at the cap edge and a shell at the stem base. Has a tan pulp at the stem base and dark purple flesh at apex. Usually grows under aspen.

4. Cortinarius subtorvus

   Much smaller and grows singly in the highlands under willows.

5. Cortinarius cohabitans

   Very similar in appearance and found only under willows. Many authors consider it as a synonym for the Cortinarius saturninus.

History

In 1821 Elias Magnus Fries described this species and gave it the binomial scientific name Agaricus saturninus. In 1838 Fries renamed it Cortinarius saturninus, which is currently accepted scientific name.

The generic name Cortinarius is a reference to the partial veil cap that covers the gills when it's immature.

The specific epithet saturninus is a regard to the god Saturn and the planet named after him.

Synonyms and Varieties

• Cortinarius cohabitans var. urbicoides Bidaud & Fillion 2004

• Agaricus saturninus Fries (1821), Systema mycologicum, 1, p. 219 (Basionyme) Sanctionnement : Fries (1821)

• Cortinarius cohabitans P. Karst. (1879)

• Cortinarius cohabitans var. urbicoides (2004) [2003]

• Cortinarius denseconnatus Rob. Henry 1983

• Cortinarius dissidens Reumaux 1980

• Cortinarius fulvorimosus Carteret & Reumaux 2008

• Cortinarius gramineus Rob. Henry 1983

• Cortinarius marginatosplendens Reumaux 1980

• Cortinarius rastetteri Rob. Henry 1981

• Cortinarius salicis Rob. Henry (1977), Bulletin de la Société mycologique de France, 93(3), p. 364

• Cortinarius saturninus (Fries) Fries (1838) [1836-38], Epicrisis systematis mycologici, p. 306

• Cortinarius subsaturninus Rob. Henry (1938), Bulletin de la Société mycologique de France, 54(1), p. 32 (nom. inval.)

• Cortinarius umbrinoconnatus Rob. Henry 1957

• Cortinarius urbicus var. sporanotandus Bidaud & Fillion 2002

• Gomphos saturninus (Fries) Kuntze (1891), Revisio generum plantarum, 2, p. 854

• Hydrocybe saturnina (Fries) A. Blytt (1905) [1904], Skrifter udgivne af videnskabsselskabet i Christiania : I. Mathematisk-naturvidenskabelig klasse, 1904(6), p. 81

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: federicocalledda (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: federicocalledda (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: fountainfungi (CC BY-NC 4.0)