# Webcap (*Cortinarius*)

The Webcap is a mushroom that can be tricky to identify. It's best to be cautious around it!

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

![Webcap](https://media.snappit.app/site-media-v1/872fc6c70976ed9e67f67be1a7c2bb2e6bbd8d48d507e06b266e8e20c4b8e1dd/image-560x560/w-560.webp)

## Appearance

The Webcap is a diverse mushroom, often featuring a cap ranging from browns to oranges or even purples. Its distinguishing characteristic is a delicate, web-like veil (cortina) connecting the cap to the stalk when young, which often leaves rust-brown spore remnants on the stem.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Eating certain Webcaps can cause serious kidney damage days later, making them very dangerous!
- Some Webcaps are named for their beautiful, vibrant cap colors, like purple or even blue!
- The Webcap genus, Cortinarius, is one of the largest mushroom groups, with thousands of species!
- The web-like veil, called a cortina, often disappears completely as the mushroom grows older!

## Special abilities

- **Root Whisperer:** Webcaps can form special partnerships with tree roots, sharing nutrients like a secret handshake that helps both the fungus and the tree grow strong.
- **Veil Guardian:** Webcaps have a distinctive web-like veil (cortina) that protects their developing gills, like a delicate spiderweb guarding the mushroom's secrets.
- **Toxic Shield:** Webcaps can produce toxins like orellanine to protect themselves from being eaten, making them dangerous for animals that try to snack on them.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 3-15 cm
- **Edible:** poisonous
- **Size:** 2-10 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Fall
- **Spore Color:** Rust brown

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — Forms beneficial partnerships with tree roots.
- **Symbiotic with:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Exchanges nutrients with this broadleaf tree.
- **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs might sometimes graze on Webcap mushrooms.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [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.
- [Poisonous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/poisonous): Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact.

## 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 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 Webcap?

3-15 cm

### Is Webcap edible?

poisonous

### How big is Webcap?

2-10 cm

### Where is Webcap usually found?

Forests

### What does Webcap grow on?

soil

### When is Webcap in season?

Fall

### What color are Webcap spores?

Rust 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: [Webcap: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/webcap)