Cortinarius turmalis

Cortinarius turmalis Fr., Epicrisis Systematis Mycologici: 257 (1838) [MB#244528]
Synonym: Cortinarius corrugis A.H. Sm. (1944)

Collection Descriptions
Cap 40-135 mm across, hemispherical when young, then convex to plane with slight umbo, undulating in age, surface viscid when wet, rugulose, glabrous, light yellow-ochre at first, becoming darker particularly on disk, cortina abundant, white, gills close to crowded, cream when young, later buff to cinnamon-grey, stipe: 35-135 mm long, 10-27 mm wide at apex, white, base staining pinkish, flesh solid, white, yellowing slightly when cut, odor and taste indistinct, KOH slight yellowish reaction on flesh, reddish brown on cap. Literature notes delayed grey-green reaction on flesh.

Discussion:
Cortinarius turmalis is a medium to large and often abundant species which you can learn to identify with confidence by observing the wrinkled (rugulose to corrugated) mature cap, and the staining of the basal mycelium. The stipe base with be white to creamy at first but turns a lilac-pink color seconds to minutes after exposure to the air. I have observed this species in Girdwood, Alaska, near the northern extent of the Pacific Northwest temperate rainforest ecosystem and in Washington State and Noah Siegel has collected it in Mendocino, CA, to the South. It has a widespread distribution in boreal conifer forest.

Soop et al’s 2019 analysis places this in a new section “Cortinarius sect. Turmales”. C. corrugis A.H. Sm. (described from Washington) is a synonym.

ITS Analysis – Match to Type of C.turmalis – NR_130278.1
>SDA_556
AAGTCGTAACAAGGTTTCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGGAAGGATCATTATTGAAGTAAACCTGATGAGTTGCTGCTGGTTCTCTAGGGAGCATTGTGCACACTTGTCATCTTTATATTTCCACCTGTGAACCTTTTGTAGACCTGGATATCTCTCTGAGTACTTGTGCTCAGGTTTGAGGACTTGACCCTCCTTACATTTCCAGGCCTATGTTTCTTCATATACCCGATCTATGTTATAGAATGTAATAAATGAGCCTTTGTGCCTATAAACCTTATACAACTTTCAGCAACGGATCTCTTGGCTCTCGCATCGATGAAGAACGCAGCGAAATGCGATAAGTAATGTGAATTGCAGAATTCAGTGAATCATCGAATCTTTGAACGCACCTTGCGCTCCTTGGTATTCCGAGGAGCATGCCTGTTTGAGTGTCATTAATATGTCAACCTCTTCAAGCTTTTGCCTGTTGAGTGTTGGATGTGGGGGGTCTTTTTTGCTGGCTTCTCTTTCTGAGGTCAGCTCCCCTGAAATGCATTAGCGGGAACAATTTGTTGATCGTTCATTGGTGTGATAATTATCTACGCTATTGACGTTAAGCAGTTCAGCTTCTAACAGTCCATTGACTTGGACAAATTTTCATTAATGTGACCTCAAATCAGGTAGGAATACCCGCTGAACTTAAGCATATCAATAAGCGGAGGAAAAGAAACTAACAAGGATTCCCCTAGTAACTGCGAGTGAAGCGGGAAAAGCTCAAATTTAAAATCTGGCAGTCTCTGACTGTCCGAGTTGTAATCTAGAGAAGCGTTATCCGCGCTGGA

Bibliography:
Soop, K., B. Dima, J.A. Cooper, D. Park, and B. Oertel. “A Phylogenetic Approach to a Global Supraspecific Taxonomy of Cortinarius ( Agaricales ) with an Emphasis on the Southern Mycota.” Persoonia – Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 42, no. 1 (July 19, 2019): 261–90. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2019.42.10.