- Lethal webcaps
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Lethal webcaps 
Deadly webcap, Cortinarius rubellus 
Fool's webcap, Cortinarius orellanus Scientific classification Kingdom: Fungi Division: Basidiomycota Class: Homobasidiomycetae Order: Agaricales Family: Cortinariaceae Genus: Cortinarius Species: C. rubellus
C. orellanusBinomial name Cortinarius rubellus
CookeCortinarius orellanus
FriesCortinarius rubellus Mycological characteristics
gills on hymenium 
cap is umbonate 
hymenium is adnexed 
stipe has a cortina 
spore print is brown 
ecology is mycorrhizal 
edibility: deadly The Lethal webcaps, two species in the genus Cortinarius, are two of the world's most poisonous mushrooms. The species are the Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus, formerly also known as C. speciosissimus) and the Fool's webcap, C. orellanus.
The mushrooms' characteristics are quite common, making them difficult to identify, which often leads to fatal poisonings. Young examples of the species often have a veil between the cap of the mushroom and the stem. This veil looks like a cobweb, hence the name. The veil however partially or completely disappears in older specimens. Some other characteristics for each of the mushrooms are given below.
Contents
Descriptions
Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus)
Spore color: Rusty brown to orange
Cap: 3–7 cm rusty brown to orange. Often has a steeper and darker colored elevation at the top of the cap, but this varies greatly from specimen to specimen
Gills: Wide gaps between the gills which can be, but are not necessarily, connected to the stem
Location: Rare, but common in temperate parts of northern Europe. Has been encountered as far north as Finnish Lapland.
Habitat: Pine woods with acidic soil
Other details: Young specimens contain a pale web between the cap and the stem. Sometimes parts of this web can be seen as a yellow ring on the stem or at the edge of the cap. The fruiting body of the mushroom blossoms from mid-summer to late autumn.Fool's webcap (Cortinarius orellanus)
Spore color: Rusty brown to orange
Cap: 3–8.5 cm, concave
Gills: Similar to those of the deadly webcap
Location: Common throughout Europe, rare in the northern parts of Europe. Has been observed as far north as southern Norway
Habitat: In forests, around trees where the soil is alkaline or acidic
Other details: Young specimens of the Fool's webcap also contain a web between the cap and the stem that partially or completely disappears as the specimen ages.Toxicity
Main article: OrellanineBoth of these mushrooms can be confused with each other and many incidents of mushroom poisoning have occurred where inexperienced mushroom hunters have confused these mushrooms with edible mushrooms, such as the chanterelle, or hallucinogenic mushrooms.[1] One should be especially cautious when picking mushrooms like the cleaned funnel chanterelles as these mushrooms share the same habitat as the deadly webcap and the fool's webcap. In many incidents where this mushroom has been ingested, death has occurred.
In Poland during the 1950s there was a small epidemic where over 100 people became ill. What caused the illness remained a mystery until 1952 when Polish physician Dr. Stanisław Grzymala discovered that everyone suffering from the illness, which by then had claimed several lives, had eaten the mushroom Cortinarius orellanus.[2][3]
These mushrooms are sometimes stated to be so poisonous that one could be poisoned even after tasting and spitting out a small piece.[citation needed] The LD50 in mice is 12–20 mg per kg body weight. From cases of orellanine-related mushroom poisoning in humans it seems that the lethal dose for humans is considerably lower.
The Deadly webcap and the Fool's webcap both contain the toxin orellanin and orellin , orellinin [1] and Cortinarin A,B,C [2] . A characteristic of orellanin poisoning is the long latency; the first symptoms usually don't appear until 2–3 days after ingestion and can in some cases take as long as 3 weeks. The first symptoms of orellanin poisoning are similar to the common flu (nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, headaches, etc.). These symptoms are followed by early stages of renal failure (immense thirst, frequent urination, pain on and around the kidneys), and eventually decreased or nonexistent urine output and other symptoms of renal failure occur. If left untreated death will follow. There is no known antidote against orellanin poisoning, but early hospitalization and treatment can sometimes prevent serious injuries and usually prevent death. If you suspect orellanin poisoning, acting on it quickly can save your life.
Several more mushrooms in the Cortinarius genus are suspected to contain orellanin or other deadly toxins. Among them are Cortinarius callisteus and Cortinarius limonius.
Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer, his wife Charlotte Gordon Cumming, and several of their relatives were poisoned in September 2008 after consuming Cortinarius rubellus and/or Cortinarius speciosissimus that they gathered on holiday. The poisoning was non-lethal, though Evans and the others suffered severe renal damage and had to undergo kidney dialysis.[4][5] They were informed that they would require kidney transplants and Evans subsequently received a kidney donated by his daughter, Lauren.[6][7]
See also
References
- ^ Franz M, Regele H, Kirchmair M, et al. (November 1996). "Magic mushrooms: hope for a 'cheap high' resulting in end-stage renal failure". Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 11 (11): 2324–27. PMID 8941602. http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8941602.
- ^ See: (1) Alina Skirgiełło and Andrzej Nespiak (1957) "Erfahrungen mit Dermocybe orellana (Fr.) in Polen: A. Cortinarius (Dermocybe) orellanus Fr. non Quél. — cause d'intoxications fongiques en Pologne en 1952-55" (Experiences with Dermocybe orellana (Fr.) in Poland: A. Cortinarius (Dermocybe) orellanus Fr. non Quél. — cause of mushroom poisoning in Poland in 1952-55) Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde (Journal for Mycology), vol. 23, pages 138-139 ; (2) Stanisław Grzymala (1957) "Erfahrungen mit Dermocybe orellana (Fr.) in Polen: B. Massenvergiftung durch den Orangefuchsigen Hautkopf. (Experiences with Dermocybe orellana (Fr.) in Poland: B. Mass poisoning by the orange-red web-cap), Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde, vol. 23, pages 139-142.
- ^ *Spoerke, David G.; Barry H Rumack (1994). Handbook of Mushroom Poisoning: Diagnosis and Treatment. CRC Press. p. 250. ISBN 0-8493-0194-7.
- ^ "Horse Whisperer author, Nicholas Evans, poisoned by wild mushrooms" by Charlene Sweeney, The Times, September 3, 2008.
- ^ "'Horse Whisperer' Author Poisoned By Mushrooms" by Associated Press, The Huffington Post, September 2, 2008.
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015392/Author-Horse-Whisperer-poisoned-eating-mushrooms-kidney-transplant-daughter.html
- ^ "How to pick wild mushrooms" by Phil Daoust, The Guardian, September 16, 2010.
External links
Categories:- Poisonous fungi
- Deadly fungi
- Cortinariaceae
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