Cortinarius pholideus    (Fr.) Fr. 

common name(s) : Scaly Webcap, Silky Cortinarius 

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

synonyms: Sericeocybe pholideus, Sericeocybe pholidea 
(unconfirmed synonyms: Inoloma pholidea, Inoloma pholideum)  

edibility : inedible

photo gallery of  Cortinarius pholideus
photo gallery of  Cortinarius pholideus potential confusions with  Cortinarius pholideus toxicity of Cortinarius pholideus genus Cortinarius  

The cap is ochre brown to orange-red brown, with a central umbo. The cap surface is not viscid nor sticky.

The stem is same colour as cap, with a ring zone (cortina remains).

The flesh is violaceous in the apex of stem or above the gills, pallid ochre brown elsewhere, unchanging; the odour is faint, pleasant; its texture is fibrous.

The gills are violaceous then red brown, adnate, rather distant . The spore print is rusty brown. This species is mycorrhizal. It grows on the ground, in damp broad-leaved woods, peatlands, or amongst sphagnum, on a rather acid soil, with birch most of the time, but also with poplar, oak or conifers.

The fruiting period takes place from July to November.
Dimensions: width of cap approximately 7 cm (between 2.5 and 10 cm)
  height of stem approximately 10 cm (between 5 and 13.5 cm)
  thickness of stem (at largest section) approximately 12 mm (between 5 and 20 mm)

Distinctive features : Cap covered with small brown scales; stem lilac-blue at the apex, and banded with scaly belts below the ring zone; purple gills in the youth;

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



page updated on 14/01/18