Image of Cortinarius meinhardii Bon 1986

Description:

Slo.: sijajna koprenka, smrdei razliek (?) - syn.: Cortinarius splendens ssp. meinhardii (Bon) Brand. Melot, Cortinarius splendens Hry., Cortinarius vitellinus Moser - Habitat: steep northwest oriented mountain slope, mixed wood, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies dominant trees, in shade, quite humid place, calcareous ground, partly protected from direct rain by tree canopies, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 8-10 deg C, elevation 1.020 m (3.350 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: soil, among fallen leaves and needles. - Comments: Contrary to several authors Kriegelsteiner (Ref.: 2) distinguishes Cortinarius splendens from Cortinarius meinhardii and grounds this position on molecular studies made by Garnica. He describes almost no morphological difference between both. Dimensions, shapes, colors, type of ground and spores of both species are almost the same, smell and habitat being exceptions. C. meinhardii should be mycorrhizal partner with conifers (mostly Picea abies), should climb up to upper montane elevations and should have distinct smell on blackpepper. On the other hand, C. splendens should grow at lower elevations, mostly in planes, should be associated with broadleaved trees (mostly Fagus sylvatica) and should have no distinctive smell. The mushrooms photographed grow in mixed mountain wood, Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica being dominant; they were found in montane elevations and have mild, pleasant smell, definitely not on black pepper. So, there was little ground to decide for one or another options. Fortunately (at least for me), it was not necessary. Index Fungorum keeps both names as synonyms taking C. meinhardii as currently valid name. - Cortinarius meinhardii is a very beautiful mushroom, but also one of deadly poisonous. Especially unfortunate fact is that medical problems pop out only after three to 14 days after ingesting when all poison is already absorbed in the body and nothing more can be done to revert or prevent this. Ref. 4. even discourage testing its taste for determination purposes! Nevertheless, I tested it without knowing what I was testing. No unpleasant consequences have been observed. I would not test it again and I don't encourage others to do so. But, under the procedure, which I always use, that is: I always test less than 1 g of an unknown mushroom (I verified this once using a micro weighing scale), test it for about 20-30 sec, spat out everything and rinse my mouth with tap water, there were no (observable?) consequences. Cortinarius meinhardii is limited to Europe and considered quite rare. - Growing in a small group of three sporocarps. Pilei diameter 4.5-6.5 cm, cuticle sticky, stipe 4-7 cm tall, 1.3 cm in diameter, bulb up to 3 cm in diameter; smell mild, specific but I don't know on what; taste mild but unique, somewhat sweet; SP abundant, brown-orange, oac713; 5% KOH reaction on cuticle distinctive red-brown, on trama ocher-yellow,weaker than on cuticle. - Spores smooth, warty. Dimensions: 10,2 [11,2 ; 11,6] 12,5 x 6 [6,5 ; 6,7] 7,2 micr., Q = 1,6 [1,7 ; 1,8] 1,9; N = 35; C = 95%; Me = 11,4 x 6,6 micr.; Qe = 1,7. Olympus CH20, NEA 100x/1.25, magnification 1.000 x, oil. AmScope MA500 digital camera. - Herbarium: Mycotheca and lichen herbarium (LJU-Li) of Slovenian Forestry Institute, Vena pot 2, Ljubljana, Index Herbariorum LJF - Ref.: (1) Personal communication with Mr. Bojan Rot, www.gobenabovskem.com (2) G.J. Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Baden-Wrttembergs, Band 5., Ulmer (2003), p 138. 9-12/ 5.5-6.5(7) mandel, warty (3) R. Phillips, Mushrooms, Macmillan (2006), p 175. 10-13/5-6.5, roughened CS (4) S. Buczacki, Collins Fungi Guide, Collins (2012), p 334. 10-11/5-6 warty CS (5) M. Bon, Parey's Buch der Pilze, Kosmos (2005), p 212. 10-12/6 CS (6) R.M. Daehncke, 1200 Pilze in Farbfotos, AT Verlag (2009), p 764. 10-11/5-6 CM in 9-12/5.5-7 CS