Cortinarius ponderosus
Cortinarius ponderosus, also known as the Ponderous Cortinarius, is a basidiomycete mushroom of the genus Cortinarius. It is very large and due to its thick stem it can be mistaken for Boletus edulis.
| Cortinarius ponderosus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Cortinariaceae |
| Genus: | Cortinarius |
| Species: | C. ponderosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cortinarius ponderosus Alexander H. Smith, (1939) | |
Cortinarius ponderosus | |
|---|---|
 | gills on hymenium |
 | cap is convex |
 | hymenium is adnate |
 | stipe is bare |
 | spore print is yellow |
 | ecology is mycorrhizal |
 | edibility: not recommended |
Description
This mushroom is one of the largest mushrooms in the genus Cortinarius, with a convex cap that ranges from 10–30 cm (4–12 in)[1] and becomes plane in age. It often has an olive metallic tinge, and the surface is viscid, often with small rusty brown scales.[1] The margin is ocher and remains inrolled until the mushroom is fully mature. The flesh of the mushroom is yellow-white, thick and firm, with a mild to sour odor.[1] The gills are rusty brown, adnate[1] and slightly decurrent. The stalk is 8–20 cm (3–8 in) thick, 4–10 cm wide, and bulbous at the base.[1] It has a slimy yellow universal veil, and the cortina leaves a rusty brown hairy area on the upper stalk. The spores are brown and elliptical.[1]
Its edibility is unknown, but it is not recommended due to its similarity to deadly poisonous species.[1]
Cortinarius infractus is a similar species that usually has a smaller cap.[1]
See also
References
- Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 261–262. ISBN 978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC 797915861.