Cortinarius vanduzerensis
Encyclopedia
Cortinarius vanduzerensis is a species
of mushroom
in the Cortinariaceae
family. Described as new to science in 1972, it is known only from the Pacific Northwest
region of North America, where it grows under conifers such as spruce
, hemlock
, and Douglas-fir
. The fruit bodies
of the fungus, or mushroom
s, have a slimy dark chestnut
-brown cap
that becomes deeply radially grooved or corrugated in maturity, and reaches diameters of up to 8 cm (3.1 in). The gills on the underside of the cap are initially pinkish-buff before becoming pale brown when the spore
s mature. The stem
is lavender
, measuring 10 – long and 1 – thick. The mushroom produces a rusty-brown spore print
, with individual spore
s measuring 12–14 by 7–8 micrometer
s. The edibility
of the mushroom has not been determined, and it has been described as "much too slippery to be of value".
and James M. Trappe, based on specimens they found in Cascade Head
in Tillamook County, Oregon
, in October and November 1970. The species had also been called Cortinarius elatior, but that name refers to a European species. Within the genus Cortinarius
, C. vanduzerensis is classified in the subgenus
Myxacium. This subgenus includes species in which both the cap and stem are sticky as a result of a glutinous universal veil
. Based on the nucleic acid sequence similarity in the internal transcribed spacer
region, C. vanduzerensis is closely related to the European and North American C. mucifluus and the Costa Rican species C. costaricensis.
A common name
for the species is the "pointed Cortinarius", while the specific epithet vanduzerensis refers to the H.B. van Duzer Forest
where the species was originally collected.
of C. vanduzerensis are covered with a slimy universal veil
; the slime layer persists on the cap
of young mushrooms, or in moist weather. The shape of the cap is oval to conical with the margin initially appressed, expanding to broadly conic or somewhat flattened in maturity, eventually reaching diameters of 4 –. The cap color is initially chestnut-brown to black, but becomes paler brown as it matures. The surface is radially wrinkled or corrugated, especially near the margin. The flesh
is pallid but soon pale cinnamon-buff. The odor and taste are not distinctive. A drop of FeSO4
solution (a reagent commonly used in mushroom identification
) applied to the surface of the cap will turn olive-green.
The gills are pinkish-buff when young (in unopened caps), dull cinnamon-brown at maturity when the spores mature. They are packed close together, and are adnate or adnexed. The stem
is 10 – long, 1 – thick, narrowed slightly to the base. It is pallid within but slowly cinnamon buff at least near the base. The stem surface has a thick slime-veil, and is lavender
to light purple on the upper portion, but darker on the lower portion. Sometimes the universal veil
breaks up into concentric zones over the lower third of the stem.
The edibility
of the mushroom is not known. David Arora
notes that it is "much too slippery to be of value".
The spore print
is a rusty-brown color. In face view, the spore
s are broadly elliptic to ovate (egg-shaped), while in profile they appear broadly inequilateral; they have dimensions of 12–14 by 7–8 μm
. The spore surface is roughened with warts, and they lack an apical pore
. The spores contain two nuclei. The basidia (spore-bearing cells in the hymenium
) are four-spored, broadly club-shaped, and have contents that are often in the form of yellow masses or granules
when stained in Melzer's reagent
. The cheilocystida (cystidia on the gill edge) are club-shaped, sometimes with an abruptly tapering point, and measure 17–26 by 9–15 μm. There are no pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face). The gill tissue is made of hyphae that are arranged in a roughly parallel fashion (subparallel); there are also brownish to orange-brown fat-containing hyphae present. The epicutis (outer layer of tissue) of the cap is made of a turf of gelatinous hyphae that measure 2.5–6 μm wide; clamp connection
s are absent to rare in the hyphae. The veil hyphae is 4–8 μm wide, and hyaline
(translucent) to yellow when mounted in a dilute solution of KOH
. The hyphae of the cortex of the stem are subparallel, and clamps are present.
l mushroom that grows in association with conifer trees. The fruit bodies grow solitarily, scattered, in rings
or in groups under spruce
, hemlock
, and Douglas-fir
. The mushroom is known only from the Pacific Northwest
region of North America, including the Queen Charlotte Islands
on the north Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It fruits in the autumn and early winter, or in the late summer in western Canada. Its frequency of occurrence has been described variously as "very common", to "fairly common", or "rare" everywhere except Oregon".
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
in the Cortinariaceae
Cortinariaceae
The Cortinariaceae are a large family of gilled mushrooms found worldwide, containing over 2100 species. The family takes its name from its largest genus, the varied species of the genus Cortinarius...
family. Described as new to science in 1972, it is known only from the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region of North America, where it grows under conifers such as spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, hemlock
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
, and Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
. The fruit bodies
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
of the fungus, or mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s, have a slimy dark chestnut
Chestnut (color)
Chestnut, also known as Indian red, is a color, a medium brownish shade of red, and is named after the nut of the chestnut tree.As Indian red, it is named after the red laterite soil found in India. It is thus an earth tone as well as a red. It is composed of naturally occurring iron oxides. Other...
-brown cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
that becomes deeply radially grooved or corrugated in maturity, and reaches diameters of up to 8 cm (3.1 in). The gills on the underside of the cap are initially pinkish-buff before becoming pale brown when the spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s mature. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is lavender
Lavender (color)
Lavender is a pale tint of violet. It applies particularly to the color of the flower of the same name. The web color called lavender is displayed at right—it matches the color of the very palest part of the lavender flower; however, the more saturated color shown below as floral lavender more...
, measuring 10 – long and 1 – thick. The mushroom produces a rusty-brown spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
, with individual spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s measuring 12–14 by 7–8 micrometer
Micrometer
A micrometer , sometimes known as a micrometer screw gauge, is a device incorporating a calibrated screw used widely for precise measurement of small distances in mechanical engineering and machining as well as most mechanical trades, along with other metrological instruments such as dial, vernier,...
s. The edibility
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
of the mushroom has not been determined, and it has been described as "much too slippery to be of value".
Taxonomy
The species was described in 1972 by mycologists Alexander H. SmithAlexander H. Smith
Alexander Hanchett Smith was an American mycologist known for his extensive contributions to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the higher fungi, especially the agarics.-Early life:...
and James M. Trappe, based on specimens they found in Cascade Head
Cascade Head
Cascade Head is a headland and UNESCO biosphere reserve and United States Forest Service Experimental Forest. It is situated southwest of Portland, Oregon on the Oregon Coast between Lincoln City and Neskowin...
in Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250...
, in October and November 1970. The species had also been called Cortinarius elatior, but that name refers to a European species. Within the genus Cortinarius
Cortinarius
Cortinarius is a genus of mushrooms. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2000 different species and found worldwide. A common feature among all species in the genus Cortinarius is that young specimens have a cortina between the cap and the stem, hence the name,...
, C. vanduzerensis is classified in the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Myxacium. This subgenus includes species in which both the cap and stem are sticky as a result of a glutinous universal veil
Universal veil
In mycology, a universal veil is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms. The developing Caesar's mushroom , for example, which may resemble a small white sphere at this point, is protected by this structure...
. Based on the nucleic acid sequence similarity in the internal transcribed spacer
Internal transcribed spacer
ITS refers to a piece of non-functional RNA situated between structural ribosomal RNAs on a common precursor transcript. Read from 5' to 3', this polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript contains the 5' external transcribed sequence , 18S rRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2, 28S rRNA and finally the 3'ETS...
region, C. vanduzerensis is closely related to the European and North American C. mucifluus and the Costa Rican species C. costaricensis.
A common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
for the species is the "pointed Cortinarius", while the specific epithet vanduzerensis refers to the H.B. van Duzer Forest
H. B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor
H. B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor is a scenic driving route along Route 18 in Lincoln, Tillamook, and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Oregon that passes through a forested corridor. The Van Duzer Corridor stretches from northwestern Polk County to Lincoln City, passing through the...
where the species was originally collected.
Description
Young fruit bodiesBasidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
of C. vanduzerensis are covered with a slimy universal veil
Universal veil
In mycology, a universal veil is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms. The developing Caesar's mushroom , for example, which may resemble a small white sphere at this point, is protected by this structure...
; the slime layer persists on the cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
of young mushrooms, or in moist weather. The shape of the cap is oval to conical with the margin initially appressed, expanding to broadly conic or somewhat flattened in maturity, eventually reaching diameters of 4 –. The cap color is initially chestnut-brown to black, but becomes paler brown as it matures. The surface is radially wrinkled or corrugated, especially near the margin. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is pallid but soon pale cinnamon-buff. The odor and taste are not distinctive. A drop of FeSO4
Iron(II) sulfate
Iron sulfate or ferrous sulfate is the chemical compound with the formula FeSO4. Known since ancient times as copperas and as green vitriol, the blue-green heptahydrate is the most common form of this material...
solution (a reagent commonly used in mushroom identification
Chemical tests in mushroom identification
Chemical tests in mushroom identification are methods that aid in determining the variety of some fungi. The most useful tests are Melzer's reagent and potassium hydroxide.- Ammonia :Household ammonia can be used. A couple of drops are placed on the flesh...
) applied to the surface of the cap will turn olive-green.
The gills are pinkish-buff when young (in unopened caps), dull cinnamon-brown at maturity when the spores mature. They are packed close together, and are adnate or adnexed. The stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 10 – long, 1 – thick, narrowed slightly to the base. It is pallid within but slowly cinnamon buff at least near the base. The stem surface has a thick slime-veil, and is lavender
Lavender (color)
Lavender is a pale tint of violet. It applies particularly to the color of the flower of the same name. The web color called lavender is displayed at right—it matches the color of the very palest part of the lavender flower; however, the more saturated color shown below as floral lavender more...
to light purple on the upper portion, but darker on the lower portion. Sometimes the universal veil
Universal veil
In mycology, a universal veil is a temporary membranous tissue that fully envelops immature fruiting bodies of certain gilled mushrooms. The developing Caesar's mushroom , for example, which may resemble a small white sphere at this point, is protected by this structure...
breaks up into concentric zones over the lower third of the stem.
The edibility
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
of the mushroom is not known. David Arora
David Arora
David Arora is an American mycologist, naturalist, and writer. He is the author of two popular books on mushroom identification, Mushrooms Demystified and All That the Rain Promises and More.......
notes that it is "much too slippery to be of value".
The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is a rusty-brown color. In face view, the spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are broadly elliptic to ovate (egg-shaped), while in profile they appear broadly inequilateral; they have dimensions of 12–14 by 7–8 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. The spore surface is roughened with warts, and they lack an apical pore
Germ pore
A germ pore is a small pore in the outer wall of a fungal spore through which the germ tube exits upon germination. It can be apical or eccentric in its location, and, on light microscopy, may be visualized as a lighter coloured area on the cell wall....
. The spores contain two nuclei. The basidia (spore-bearing cells in the hymenium
Hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
) are four-spored, broadly club-shaped, and have contents that are often in the form of yellow masses or granules
Granule (cell biology)
In cell biology, a granule is a small particle. It can be any structure barely visible by light microscopy. The term is most often used to describe a secretory vesicle.-Leukocytes:...
when stained in Melzer's reagent
Melzer's Reagent
Melzer's reagent is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi.-Composition:...
. The cheilocystida (cystidia on the gill edge) are club-shaped, sometimes with an abruptly tapering point, and measure 17–26 by 9–15 μm. There are no pleurocystidia (cystidia on the gill face). The gill tissue is made of hyphae that are arranged in a roughly parallel fashion (subparallel); there are also brownish to orange-brown fat-containing hyphae present. The epicutis (outer layer of tissue) of the cap is made of a turf of gelatinous hyphae that measure 2.5–6 μm wide; clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s are absent to rare in the hyphae. The veil hyphae is 4–8 μm wide, and hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
(translucent) to yellow when mounted in a dilute solution of KOH
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
. The hyphae of the cortex of the stem are subparallel, and clamps are present.
Similar species
Smith and Trappe noted a similarity to the European Cortinarius elatior, but this species has violet gills at first. C. collinitis has a lighter brown slimy cap, with glutinous bands on the stem that are rarely tinged purple. A third species in this group, C. cylindripes has a lighter colored, sometimes wrinkled cap, and gills that are pale purple when young with fringed edges. C. stillatitius is a related European species found in coniferous (sometimes in mixed) forests. Another glutinous, dark-brown capped species with which C. vanduzerensis might be confused is Phaeocollybia spadicea, but this species has pseudorhiza (a subterranean elongation of the stem) at the stem base and gills that are free from attachment to the stem.Habitat and distribution
Cortinarius vanduzerensis is a mycorrhizaMycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l mushroom that grows in association with conifer trees. The fruit bodies grow solitarily, scattered, in rings
Fairy ring
A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but...
or in groups under spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, hemlock
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
, and Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
. The mushroom is known only from the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region of North America, including the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
on the north Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It fruits in the autumn and early winter, or in the late summer in western Canada. Its frequency of occurrence has been described variously as "very common", to "fairly common", or "rare" everywhere except Oregon".