''Cortinarius austrovenetus'', alternately known as ''Dermocybe austroveneta'' and commonly known as the green skin-head but also known as green dermocybe is an inedible brightly coloured green gilled fungus that naturally occurs in south eastern Australia.

Taxonomy

Initially described as ''Cortinarius austrovenetus'' by Australian naturalist

John Burton Cleland Sir John Burton Cleland CBE (22 June 1878 – 11 August 1971) was a renowned Australian naturalist, microbiologist, mycologist and ornithologist. He was Professor of Pathology at the University of Adelaide and was consulted on high-level pol ...

in 1928, this mushroom along with many other members of the group was separated from the huge genus ''

Cortinarius ''Cortinarius'' is a globally distributed genus of mushrooms in the family Cortinariaceae. It is suspected to be the largest genus of agarics, containing over 2,000 widespread species. A common feature among all species in the genus ''Cortinari ...

'', and placed in the newer genus '' Dermocybe'', commonly called skin-heads, derived from the meaning of their scientific names. However, this genus is often treated as a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed betw ...

of ''Cortinarius'' only. In 2007, Bruno Gasparini suggested that ''C. austrovenetus'' is the same species as another ''Cortinarius'' in subgenus ''Dermocybe'', '' C. walkerae''. If this is true, ''C. austrovenetus'' is a later

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

and the name C. walkerae would take precedence.

Description

The

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life c ...

of ''Cortinarius austrovenetus'' are smooth with a convex or flat

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

that can be up to across. The

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic comp ...

has been isolated and described as austrovenetin.Gill M, Gimenez A (1991) Austrovenetin, the principal pigment of the toadstool ''Dermocybe austroveneta''. ''Phytochemistry'' 30 951–955 They have yellowy brown; adnate

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

underneath the cap. Like most members of the family Cortinariaceae this mushroom has a thin web-like

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

(the cortina) protecting the gills in the early stages of growth. Remnants of this veil may be seen (often quite fleetingly) on the mature stipe.

Distribution and habitat

Occurring particularly in Victoria and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

and typically in

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', '' Allo ...

forests or woodlands. It may exist in some numbers in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and other eastern Australian states but little research has been conducted.

Edibility

The edibility of this mushroom is unknown, and it should be avoided, as some of its close relatives contain lethal toxins.

References

Dermocybe austroveneta
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2998123 Fungi described in 1928 Fungi native to Australia austrovenetus