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Orange-brown deadly webcap mushrooms in moss
Deadlyexpert-only

Deadly Webcap

Cortinarius rubellus

An orange-brown webcap of wet conifer forests containing orellanine, which causes delayed kidney failure.

Photo: Bohan Jia, CC BY
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Toxicity warning

Potentially fatal. Kidney damage may not show for days to weeks after eating. Seek emergency care after any possible ingestion.

Season
Late summer to autumn
Habitat
Wet, mossy conifer forests in northern Europe and North America
Underside
Rusty brown gills
Spore evidence
Rusty brown

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
353
People who recorded it
246
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Aug–Sep
Records span
1997–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

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Lookalikes to rule out

Yellowfoot has blunt ridges and a hollow stem; foragers seeking it have eaten deadly webcaps.

Other Cortinarius

deadly

Many webcaps look alike; none should be eaten.

Identification

The cap is orange-brown to tawny with a pointed central bump. Gills are rusty brown. The stem is yellowish with faint bands of orange veil. Young specimens have a cobweb-like veil between cap and stem. Spores are rusty brown.

Why it matters

Orellanine attacks the kidneys. Symptoms can take two days to three weeks to appear, by which time damage may be permanent. People have needed kidney transplants after mistaking this mushroom for chanterelles.

Memorable fact

The delay between meal and symptoms is so long that the link to a mushroom is often missed at first.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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