From Forest Floor to Fungal Display: A Cortinarius Tale

From the edible to the elusive to the potentially wearable, the variety of mushrooms on display is a must-see. Photo credit: Joern Rohde

The air hung cool and damp beneath the mighty conifers of the Callaghan Valley—my perfect

home. I may look like a simple, somewhat drab white mushroom, but I have my secrets.

While noting that my gills have now released the vast bulk of my spores, the hummm of human

commotion began. The annual Fungus Among Us Festival must have ensued, and this was the

coveted ‘Walk with Gurus’—a parade of the fungi-curious began encroaching into my quiet

realm.

A shadow falls over me. Then, a gasp—the kind of thrilled, slightly manic sound only a

mycophile makes. Towering above me was a distinguished woman, her eyes magnified by glass

and sparkling with joy. Perched jauntily on her head was a baseball cap embroidered with a

rainbow-colored mushroom—a sign of her devotion and honor in this community.

Gently, a practiced hand started fondling my base, and I was gently plucked from the forest

floor. Plop! A loved wicker basket became my understory. For some time, I endured the rhythmic sloshing of the "Walk," listening to the guru’s endless chatter about other fungal cousins

and our ecological roles.

Before too long, I was carefully placed on a pristine sheet of white paper, and another Guru

leaned in, scrutinizing my form with a hand lens. This was the moment of identification—the true

purpose of my journey.

"See here," they murmured, "even though it's a lighter color, you can still see the telltale signs of

a Cortinarius." Firstly, the remnants of my fibrous cobweb-y veil, known as a Cortina, barely

remained, which, in my youth, connected my cap margin to the stalk. I also still have faint

sprinkles of my brown spores along my stalk. Lastly, unlike some delicate fungi, I have a

substantial, fleshy cap and stalk.

People! Novices to fungal fantatics started to block the fluorescent light, shuffling, shuffling,

shuffling. Some pointed and whispered about my more glamorous neighbors: the bright red

Amanitas or the prized Chanterelles. But I got my share of attention.

Many people offered insightful observations and expressed their wonderings and curiosities. But

too often for my liking, the same question was delivered with a hopeful, hungry glint in the eye:

“Is it edible?”

No! I silently screamed. I am not edible. In fact, many of my Cortinarius cousins can cause

serious stomach distress and potentially even more serious problems. I wished they could

simply admire the subtle elegance of my structure, my perfect biological form, the way my

species contributes to the breakdown of organic matter that makes these forests thrive. I am

beautiful, complex, and vital—isn’t that enough? I may be "boring" to some, but to the right

mind, I am a puzzle, a mystery, and a beautiful puzzle piece to understanding the deep secrets

of the Sea to Sky ecosystem and beyond.

To find out what happens next to this Cortinarius is a question you’ll need to bring to the

Mushroom Display at Legends Hotel in Creekside on October 18th from 2:30 - 4:00 pm during

the Fungus Among Us Festival. Drop by to see over 150 species of mushrooms displayed on

the tables. Gurus will be on hand to answer all your curiosities.

Written by: Chloe Van Loon

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