Cortinarius smithii
Mycologia 105(2): 354. 2013.
Common Name: none
Synonym: Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis A.H. Sm.
Scattered to gregarious or clustered in deep humus under conifers (Douglas fir, western hemlock, pine, and Sitka spruce); common, fruiting from fall through mid-winter from Monterey County northward along the coast, and in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Unknown.
Cortinarius smithii is easily recognized by its blood-red cap and gills, yellow stipe, and preference for conifers. It is highly esteemed for producing deep red and burgundy pigments for dyeing textiles. Cortinarius semisanguineus shares the yellow stipe and red gills but has a yellowish brown to olive-brown cap. Cortinarius californicus, C. sierraensis, and C. neosanguineus differ in orange to reddish orange or red stipes.
Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 959 p.
Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Niskanen, T., Liimatainen, K., Ammirati, J.F. & Hughes, K. (2013). Cortinarius section Sanguinei in North America. Mycologia 105(2): 344-356.
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 601 p.
Smith, A.H. (1939). Studies in the genus Cortinarius I. Contr. Univ. Mich. Herb. 2: 1-42. (Protologue)
Smith, A.H. (1949). Mushrooms in their Natural Habitats. Sawyer's Inc: Portland, OR. 626 p. (PDF)
