Species of Cortinarius subgenus Leprocybe, sections Orellani and Limonei, in North America

Thorn, R; Malloch, D

ABSTRACT: Descriptions and a key are provided to seven species of Cortinarius subg. Leprocybe, sect. Orellani and Limonei, that are found in North America, namely C. callisteus (synonym C. croceocolor), C. distans var. olympianus, C. gentilis (synonym C. confusus), C. limoneus (synonym C. whiteae), C. morrisii, C. rainierensis, and C. speciosissimus. Of these, C. rainierensis and C. speciosissimus were previously shown to contain the nephrotoxin orellanine. Reports of C. orellanus from North America were based on misidentifications of C. uliginosus or similar species of subg. Dermocybe. There are no apparent morphological features to distinguish C. speciosissimus, which has been found in eastern North America, from C. rainierensis, which is known only from the state of Washington in western North America, or from C. orellanoides, which was described from France. Since morphological characters were found for the distinction of sibling species discovered by biochemical and genetic studies in other genera, including Armillaria, we prefer not to accept or suggest the synonymy of these taxa until neotypes or lectotypes are selected for C. croceocolor and C. rubellus and these specimens are compared with types of the other available names using chromatography of fluorescent compounds or rDNA sequences. Key words: biosystematics, mushroom poisoning, orellanine.