Cortinarius callisteus    (Quél.) Maire 

common name(s) : Tawny Webcap 

New classification: Basidiomycota/Agaricomycotina/Agaricomycetes/Agaricomycetidae/Agaricales/Cortinariaceae  
Former classification: Basidiomycota/Homobasidiomycetes/Agaricomycetideae/Cortinariales/Cortinariaceae/Cortinarieae [sub-genus:Cortinarius section:Leprocybe ]  

synonyms: Leprocybe callisteus 
(unconfirmed synonyms: Inoloma callisteum)  

edibility : poisonous

potential confusions with  Cortinarius callisteus toxicity of Cortinarius callisteus genus Cortinarius  

The cap is golden yellow to tawny orange, hemispherical then convex to expanded; its margin is smooth to wavy. The cap surface is velvety, finally scaly with age and towards margin, not viscid nor sticky.

The stem is pale yellow at apex to reddish-brown towards base, club-shaped, without ring, with a cortina, sometimes appearing as red-brown belts on stem.

The flesh is pale yellow then progressively orange brown throughout, starting from the stem base, unchanging; its taste is mild; the odour is said to be like the smell of laundry, hot engine oil, steam engine smoke or cooled mashed potatoes; its texture is fibrous.

The gills are cinnamon yellow then rusty brown, emarginate to more or less adnate, distant . The spore print is rusty brown. This species is mycorrhizal. It grows on the ground, in moist coniferous woods, on a rather acid soil, more frequent in mountainous areas, most of the time with spruce, also pines.

The fruiting period takes place from July to November.
Dimensions: width of cap approximately 6 cm (between 2 and 10 cm)
  height of stem approximately 7 cm (between 3 and 12 cm)
  thickness of stem (at largest section) approximately 15 mm (between 10 and 25 mm)

Chemical tests : none.

Distinctive features : golden yellow to tawny-orange cap, finely scaly; club-shaped stem with reddish base; odour of laundry, hot engine oil or steam engine smoke; with spruce

Cortinarius callisteus is rare and confined in the forest of Rambouillet, and is infrequent, more generally speaking .
here should be the distribution map of Cortinarius callisteus in the forest of Rambouillet
Above : distribution map of Cortinarius callisteus in the forest of Rambouillet



page updated on 14/01/18