Fool's Webcap vs Deadly Webcap
Cortinarius orellanus and Cortinarius rubellus are confused for one another often enough to be worth putting next to each other.
Another orellanine carrier. Poisoning is often only diagnosed once kidney failure is already advanced.
Orellanine destroys the kidneys, with symptoms appearing 2–3 weeks after the meal — long after anyone suspects the mushroom.
Side by side
| Cortinarius orellanus | Cortinarius rubellus | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Poisonous | Poisonous |
| Habitat | Broadleaf woodland on poor acid soil, with oak, beech and birch. | Damp conifer woodland on acid soil, usually with spruce or pine among moss and bilberry. |
| Season | Late summer to autumn. | Late summer to autumn. |
| Spore print | Rust-brown. | Rust-brown. |
This comparison cannot make a mushroom safe to eat. It sets out the few characteristics this game records, in general terms, for two species that vary by region, age and growing conditions. Real specimens overlap in ways no table and no photograph can separate, and the deadly one here is deadly in a single meal. Ask a qualified local expert, every time.
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Cortinarius rubellus is also confused with Golden Chanterelle.
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