Cortinarius hesleri (MushroomExpert.Com)

Major Groups > Gilled Mushrooms > Dark-Spored > Cortinarius > Cortinarius hesleri

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Cortinarius hesleri Ammirati & Smith nom. prov.

[Basidiomycetes > Agaricales > Cortinariaceae > Cortinarius > Dermocybe ... ]

This gorgeous, brilliant orange Cortinarius is often one of the first Cortinarii to appear each year in eastern North America, where it is found under oaks. In my area (central Illinois) only Cortinarius distans precedes it, Cortinarius-wise. May and June are the months for Cortinarius distans, while Cortinarius hesleri appears in June and July. The cap, lower stem, and gills of Cortinarius hesleri are all bright cinnabar orange, making it fairly unmistakable.

Cortinarius hesleri is one of several North American versions of the European, beech-loving species Cortinarius cinnabarinus, frequently featured in field guides as a species complex. A western version, Cortinarius californicus, is associated with conifers and appears in the fall; its cap is brownish orange. Cortinarius marylandensis, probably widely distributed, is partial to beech and has a reddish cap and gills.

Ammirati and Smith (1984) published Cortinarius hesleri as a "provisional name" in a wonderful but not officially sanctioned journal, McIlvainea, and did not subsequently republish the species. Alexander Smith is, sadly, no longer with us. It would not surprise me to find out that the surviving author awaits DNA verification of Cortinarius hesleri before placing it in a more official setting.

Edibility is not known Cortinarius hesleri. Do not experiment; Cortinarius is a dangerous genus.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with oaks; growing alone, scattered, or gregariously; late spring to fall; widely distributed in eastern North America.

Cap: 3-9 cm; convex or nearly conical at first, becoming broadly convex or flat; dry; silky; bright reddish orange when fresh, sometimes fading to pale orange.

Gills: Attached to the stem; close; colored like the cap, becoming cinnamon to rusty orange; covered by an orange cortina when young.

Stem: 2-10 cm long; up to 1.5 cm thick at the apex; more or less equal; dry; silky; pale orangish above, colored like the cap below; often darkening to reddish brown near the base or when handled; sometimes with a rusty ring zone.

Flesh: Pale orangish overall; deep orange in the stem base.

Odor: Mild or radishlike.

Chemical Reactions: KOH on cap surface purple or purplish red.

Spore Print: Rusty brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 8-10 x 5-6 µ; broadly elliptical or almond-shaped; coarsely roughened.

REFERENCES: Ammirati & Smith, 1984. (Ammirati & Smith, 1984; Phillips, 1991/2005.) Herb. Kuo 06140203, 07110401.

Cortinarius hesleri

Cortinarius sp.

Differs from Cortinarius hesleri as follows:

Mycorrhizal with beech.

Cap dark reddish, hygrophanous (changing color markedly as it dries out), usually obscurely bell-shaped at maturity.

Gills dark red before maturity.

KOH red, then black on cap surface.

I collected this Cortinarius in central Illinois. When fresh it is more red than Cortinarius hesleri. It may be some version of Cortinarius marylandensis, a reddish, beech-loving species that also demonstrates a red-then-black KOH reaction, but Ammirati and others stress the finely ornamented spores for that species as an indicator; the illustrated mushrooms, like Cortinarius hesleri, had coarsely ornamented spores.

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2005, January). Cortinarius hesleri. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cortinarius_hesleri.html