Deadly webcap vs poison pie: brown-spored poisons of the woods

Quick answer

The deadly webcap has a dry, tawny orange-brown cap with a pointed bump and a cobweb-like veil on young specimens, and drops a rusty brown print; the poison pie has a pale tan, sticky cap with a broad bump, no veil, gill edges that weep tiny droplets in damp weather, and drops a dull clay-brown print. Both are poisonous; the webcap is deadly.

Deadly lookalike

The deadly webcap can be fatal.

Both are poisonous, but the deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus) is the one that can kill: it contains orellanine, which destroys the kidneys. First Nature records that the first symptoms are usually delayed by two or three days, then flu-like symptoms, headache and vomiting, followed by kidney failure. In an Estonian series of seven orellanine poisonings, first symptoms could appear up to three weeks after the meal; six patients needed dialysis, and ten months later three were still on it. The poison pie (Hebeloma crustuliniforme) is listed as toxic by First Nature; for a closely related Hebeloma, the University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide gives an onset of about 15 minutes to 4 hours, with stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that usually end in 1 to 2 days.

If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.

Side by side

The tell for each

Cortinarius rubellus

Photo coming

Deadly
Deadly WebcapCortinarius rubellus

The tellOrange-brown, pointed cap, rusty brown gills, and yellowish bands of veil on the stem, in mossy conifer woods.

A poison pie with a tan cap, brownish gills and a pale stem, photographed against a gray stone
Toxic
Poison PieHebeloma crustuliniforme

The tellPale tan, sticky cap; in damp weather the gill edges carry tiny beads of water, and it smells of radish.

How they differ

Differences between the deadly webcap and the poison pie
FeatureDeadly WebcapPoison Pie
CapDeadly WebcapDry, orange-brown to tawny, with fine fibers and a pointed bump.Poison PieSticky when wet, whitish to pale tan with a darker center and a broad bump.
VeilDeadly WebcapA cobweb-like veil on young caps; yellowish bands on the stem.Poison PieNone; the upper stem is powdery or scurfy.
GillsDeadly WebcapFairly widely spaced, yellowish brown then rusty cinnamon.Poison PieCrowded, pale then clay brown; edges weep droplets in humid weather.
Spore printDeadly WebcapRusty brown.Poison PieDull brown to clay brown.
HabitatDeadly WebcapWet conifer forests with spruce and pine, in moss or bogs.Poison PieWoods, parks and lawns with trees, often in groups, arcs or rings.

FAQ

Common questions

Is poison pie poisonous?

Yes. Field guides list it as poisonous, causing vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps within a few hours. It is not in the deadly group.

What makes the deadly webcap different from other brown mushrooms?

A tawny orange, pointed cap, a cobweb-like veil when young, yellowish veil bands on the stem, a rusty brown print and growth in mossy conifer woods.

Sources

Where these facts come from

  4. Hebeloma velutipes, a poison pie relative (Mushrooms Up!)

    Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia

Keep checking

Read both pages in full

This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.

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