# Deadly Webcap (*Cortinarius*)

The Deadly Webcap is a dangerous mushroom that should never be eaten. It's important to stay safe!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Epic
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Cortinarius Mushroom, Deadly Webcap Mushroom

![Deadly Webcap](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424547/objects/5110.jpg)

## Appearance

The Deadly Webcap has a conical to bell-shaped, often rusty-orange to reddish-brown cap with a finely scaly surface. Its gills are broadly spaced and rust-brown, while the stem is slender, often yellow-orange, and can have yellowish bands from the web-like partial veil.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Cortinariaceae

## Interesting facts

- Deadly Webcap often looks like edible mushrooms, tricking even experienced foragers.
- Eating even a small piece can cause permanent kidney damage or death.
- Its poison, orellanine, can take days or even weeks to show symptoms!
- The 'webcap' name comes from a delicate, cobweb-like veil under its cap.

## Special abilities

- **Kidney Destroyer:** Deadly Webcap can produce a powerful toxin called orellanine that slowly destroys kidneys, making it extremely dangerous.
- **Forest Friendships:** Deadly Webcap has a special underground connection with tree roots, sharing nutrients through a process called mycorrhiza.
- **Rust-Colored Rain:** Deadly Webcap can release millions of rusty-brown spores into the wind, helping new mushrooms grow far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-12 cm
- **Edible:** deadly
- **Size:** 2-7 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late summer to late autumn
- **Spore Color:** Rusty brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Norway Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/norway-spruce) (*Picea abies*) — Shares nutrients with its root system.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — Exchanges resources with the roots of this pine.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish Slug (*Arion lusitanicus*) — Slugs may graze on its fungal fruiting bodies.

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Toxic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/toxic): Toxic organisms contain substances that are poisonous and can cause adverse effects upon exposure.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Deadly Webcap?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Deadly Webcap?

3-12 cm

### Is Deadly Webcap edible?

deadly

### How big is Deadly Webcap?

2-7 cm

### Where is Deadly Webcap usually found?

Forests

### What does Deadly Webcap grow on?

soil

### When is Deadly Webcap in season?

Late summer to late autumn

### What color are Deadly Webcap spores?

Rusty brown

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Deadly Webcap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deadly-webcap)