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Camphor cobweb (Cortinarius camphoratus) is an agaric fungus from the Spider Web family and the Spider Web genus. First described in 1774 by Jacob Schaeffer, a German botanist, and named amethyst mushroom. Its other names:
- champignon pale purple, since 1783, A. Batsh;
- camphor champignon, since 1821;
- goat’s cobweb, since 1874;
- amethyst cobweb, L. Kele.
What does camphor cobweb look like
A feature of this type of fruit bodies is a flat hat, as if cut out along a compass. The fungus grows to medium size.
Group in a pine forest
Cap Description
The hat has a spherical or umbrella shape. In young specimens, it is more rounded, with bent, veiled edges. In adulthood, it straightens out, becoming almost straight, with a gentle elevation in the center. The surface is dry, velvety, covered with longitudinal soft fibers. Diameter from 2,5-4 to 8-12 cm.
The color is uneven, with spots and longitudinal stripes, which changes markedly with age. The center is darker, the edges are lighter. The young camphor cobweb has a pale amethyst, light purple color with pale grayish veins. As it matures, it changes to a pale lilac, almost white, retaining a darker, brown-violet spot in the middle of the cap.
The pulp is dense, fleshy, colored with alternating white-lilac layers or pale lilac. In restarkov, it has a reddish-buffy tint. The hymenophore plates are frequent, of different sizes, serrated-incremented, at the early stages of growth covered with a spidery white-gray veil. In young specimens, they have a pale lilac color, which changes to brown-sand or ocher. Spore powder is brown.
Along the edges of the cap and on the stem, reddish-buffy cobweb-like remains of the bedspread are visible.
Description of the leg
The camphor cobweb has a dense, fleshy cylindrical stem, slightly expanding towards the root, straight or slightly curved. The surface is smooth, velvety-felt, there are longitudinal scales. The color is uneven, lighter than that of the cap, white-violet or lilac. Covered with white downy coating. Leg length from 3-6 cm to 8-15 cm, diameter – from 1 to 3 cm.
Where and how to grow
Cobweb camphor is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Habitat – Europe (British Isles, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Belgium) and North America. It is also found in Our Country, in the northern taiga regions, in Tatarstan, Tver and Tomsk regions, in the Urals and in Karelia.
Cobweb camphor grows in spruce forests and next to fir, in coniferous and mixed forests. Usually the colony is represented by a small group of 3-6 specimens freely scattered over the territory. Occasionally, more numerous formations can be seen. The mushroom picker bears fruit from late August to October, remaining in one place for several years.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Cobweb camphor refers to inedible species. Toxic.
Twins and their differences
Cobweb camphor can be confused with other types of Cortinarius, which have a purple color.
Cobweb white-purple. Conditionally edible mushroom of poor quality. The pulp has an unpleasant musty smell. Its color is lighter, and in size it is inferior to camphor.
A characteristic feature is the club-shaped leg
Cobweb goat or goat. Poisonous. It has a pronounced tuberous leg.
This species is also called smelly because of the indescribable aroma.
Cobweb silvery. Inedible. It is distinguished by a light-colored, almost white, with a bluish tinge hat.
Lives in deciduous and mixed forests from August to October
Cobweb blue. Inedible. It has a more blue tint.
This species prefers to settle next to a birch.
Conclusion
Cobweb camphor is a toxic agaric with a foul-smelling pulp. It lives everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, in coniferous and mixed forests, forming mycorrhiza with spruce and fir. Grows from September to October. It has inedible counterparts from among the blue webs. It cannot be used for food.