Mushroom identification
Cortinarius
Cortinarius is a very large and varied genus. Most have a distinct cobweb-like partial veil called a cortina that covers the gills when the mushroom is young, but often disappears as the mushroom matures. All Cortinarius mushrooms have spores that are rusty brown, and their caps can range in colour from brown and red to purple and yellow.
Click on the pictures to enlarge them, and click on the captions to see the details and additional pictures. Remember that comparing the mushroom's likeness to a photograph is not a sufficient identification method. Always check all the characteristics to confirm the identification.
Many mushrooms are poisonous and some are lethally poisonous. It can be very difficult to distinguish between an edible and a poisonous mushroom. Because of that, we strongly advise against consuming wild mushrooms, and this site does not contain any information about the edibility or toxicity of mushrooms.
Although efforts have been made to ensure accuracy on this website, the information may contain errors and omissions. Therefore, the information presented here is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as any basis for consuming any plants or mushrooms.