Cortinarius canarius, commonly known as the canary webcap and the yellow skinhead, is a species of mushroom of the family Cortinariaceae. It was first described by the mycologist Egon Horak in 1988. The fungus is ectomycorrhizal, meaning it has symbiotic relationships with plants. C. canarius is present in Australia and New Zealand, where it grows on soil under various plants, such as Eucalyptus and Nothofagus. Fruiting primarily occurs from March to June, and the fruiting bodies are noted for their vibrant yellow colour.
Taxonomy Cortinarius canarius was first described by the mycologist Egon Horak in 1988 as Dermocybe canaria. The species was then transferred into the genus Cortinarius in 1991. C. canarius is categorised in the subgenus Leprocybe. C. canarius is commonly known as the canary webcap and the yellow skinhead.
Description The fruit bodies (basidiocarps) have caps (pilei) which can reach wide. They can vary in shape, becoming convex when mature, with the centre being broadly umbonate to campanulate or flat and expanded. The caps are noted for their brilliant yellow to canary yellow colour, becoming yellow-brown with age, particularly towards the centre. The surface is finely to coarsely fibrous or slightly scaly when dry. In young specimens, the margin is covered with remnants of a fibrous veil. The gills (lamellae) are a golden yellow colour, turning mustard yellow then brown-yellow. The gills are crowded, emarginate, but can sometimes be decurrent. The stipes are yellow, becoming yellow-brown in older specimens, and have fusoid to bulbous root-like bases, and are rarely cylindrical. It has a veil below the cortina. The stipe is initially solid but becomes hollow. The taste of the mushroom is bitter, but the smell is non-distinctive.
The spore print is a rusty yellow to brown colour. The spores usually measure 7.5–8.5 × 4–5 µm. The spores are egg-shaped, mostly smooth when immature, and have a thin wall. The basidia measure 20–35 × 6–8 µm. The hyphae of the pileipellis measure 5–10 µm in diameter. The yellow colour of the fruiting bodies is attributed to several pigments, mainly physcion.
Distribution and habitat The species is native to Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, it is found in Tasmania and Victoria. In New Zealand, it is more common. In the North Island it is found in the Auckland Region, Waikato, the Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington Region. It is found throughout the South Island. Fruiting bodies of C. canarius grows in leaf litter or peat moss on soil. They typically fruit from March to June. The fungus is ectomycorrhizal, meaning it has symbiotic relationships with plants, such as, Eucalyptus, Nothofagus, and rarely Leptospermum. Its habitat in New Zealand commonly includes conifers, such as Libocedrus bidwillii and Phyllocladus alpinus.
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