Deadly Webcap
Distribution
Northern and central Europe, Scandinavia (very common), Britain (uncommon in south, more frequent further north), parts of North America. Widespread in boreal and temperate coniferous forests.
Habitat
Mycorrhizal with conifers, especially spruce and pine. Prefers moist, acidic soils in coniferous forests. Often found in mossy areas under spruce.
Season
Late summer through late autumn (August to November in the UK).
Toxin Type
Orellanine
Symptoms
Overview: Orellanus syndrome - characterized by extremely long latency period (unique among mushroom poisonings). Phase 1 Latent Period: 48-72 hours to as long as 3-17 days (average 3-14 days) before any symptoms appear. This extraordinarily long latency often prevents proper diagnosis. Phase 2 Initial Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms: fatigue, headaches, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, and malaise. May be mistaken for influenza. Phase 3 Renal Failure: Decreased urination (oliguria), swelling, severe kidney destruction, and potentially irreversible renal failure. Oxidative stress within renal tubular cells leads to necrosis. Mechanism: Orellanine causes oxidative damage specifically targeting renal tubular cells through generation of reactive oxygen species. Long Term Outcome: Renal damage is often irreversible, requiring lifelong dialysis or kidney transplant. The condition shows 'no improvement in renal function' in many cases.