Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus): How to Recognise It
Quick answer
Deadly webcap, Cortinarius rubellus: orellanine, can be fatal. Cap, gills, stem and habitat to check, what it is confused with, and what to do after a suspected ingestion. Not a guide to eating.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: Wikipedia, North American Mycological Association
Take a photo to learn what it might be. Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Scientific name: Cortinarius rubellus
- Common names: deadly webcap
- Toxin: orellanine (kidney damage, very delayed onset)
- Severity: can be fatal
- First symptoms: Onset is markedly delayed; mild abdominal discomfort and other symptoms commonly do not appear until the second day or later.
- Cap: Cap 2.5-8 cm, conical to convex, flattening with age and developing an umbo.
- Gills: Ochre to caramel-colored, becoming darker brown with age; adnate.
- Stem, ring and volva: Gills covered by a cobweb-like veil (cortina) when young; yellow veil remnants often cling to the lower half of the stem.
- Spore print: Cream to yellow.
- Where and when it grows: Damp coniferous or mixed conifer-broadleaf woodlands.
- Range in North America: Found in British Columbia and western Washington State (including Mount Rainier National Park); in 2020, a black spruce forest in Quebec produced North America's second recorded poisoning case from this species.
How to recognise Deadly webcap
- Cap: Cap 2.5-8 cm, conical to convex, flattening with age and developing an umbo.
- Gills: Ochre to caramel-colored, becoming darker brown with age; adnate.
- Stem, ring and volva: Gills covered by a cobweb-like veil (cortina) when young; yellow veil remnants often cling to the lower half of the stem.
- Spore print: Cream to yellow.
- Where and when it grows: Damp coniferous or mixed conifer-broadleaf woodlands.
- Range in North America: Found in British Columbia and western Washington State (including Mount Rainier National Park); in 2020, a black spruce forest in Quebec produced North America's second recorded poisoning case from this species.
What happens if it is eaten
Toxin: orellanine (kidney damage, very delayed onset). Severity: can be fatal. Timing: Onset is markedly delayed; mild abdominal discomfort and other symptoms commonly do not appear until the second day or later. A delayed start is the dangerous part: hours without symptoms do not mean the mushroom was harmless.
What to do if someone may have eaten it
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) right away, or your local emergency number. Keep any leftover mushroom, a photo of it, and note when it was eaten. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home remedies. This page does not give medical advice.
What a photo can and cannot do
A clear photo of the whole mushroom, including the base dug out of the ground, the gills and a spore print, lets the app and a mycologist narrow down what it might be and flag features that match Deadly webcap. No photo, app or website can confirm that a wild mushroom is safe to eat. Use identification to know what to avoid, not what to cook.
FAQ
Is deadly webcap deadly?
Deadly webcap is classed here as: can be fatal. Its toxin is orellanine (kidney damage, very delayed onset). Treat any suspected ingestion as an emergency.
Where does deadly webcap grow?
Damp coniferous or mixed conifer-broadleaf woodlands.
Can the app tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat?
No. The app helps you see which features match known species, including toxic ones, so you know what to stay away from. It never declares a wild mushroom safe.
More in Toxic Mushrooms of North America
- Death Cap Mushrooms (Amanita phalloides): ID and Danger
- Destroying Angel Mushroom (Amanita bisporigera): How to ID
- Western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata): How to Recognise It
- Funeral Bell Mushroom (Galerina marginata): How to ID It
- False Morel Mushrooms (Gyromitra): Poisonous, How to Tell
- Fool's conecap (Conocybe filaris): How to Recognise It
- Deadly Lepiota (Lepiota brunneoincarnata): How to Recognise It
- Brown roll-rim (Paxillus involutus): How to Recognise It
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Sources
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortinarius_rubellus
- North American Mycological Associationnamyco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_Cortinarius_rubellus_Poisoning_in_Canada
Compiled by the MushroomLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.