| The complex of species around
Cortinarius vibratilis (Section Vibratiles, Subgenus
Myxacium) are very common in wet and mossy conifer forests in the
PNW. The most obvious feature is the bitter slime on the pellicle.
There are two other very similar species that integrate quite well and are
not easy to tell apart -- the slightly larger and more reddish species
Cortinarius causticus and the smaller yellowish to orange one
Cortinarius pluvius. The literature seems to have erected highly
speculative species delineation. It would be interesting to analyze the
Western American material to check the degree of conspecificity with the
European species. |
