Cortinarius smithii

Cortinarius smithii, also known as the western red dye mushroom, is an agaric fungus of the genus Cortinarius. Originally named Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis by American mycologist Alexander H. Smith in 1939, it was renamed to honor Smith in 2012,^[2] after molecular analysis revealed that it was genetically different from Cortinarius phoeniceus. It is found in North America.^[1]

Cortinarius smithii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Cortinariaceae
Genus:	Cortinarius
Species:	C. smithii
Binomial name
Cortinarius smithii Ammirati, Niskanen & Liimat. (2012)
Synonyms[1]
Cortinarius phoeniceus var. occidentalis A.H.Sm. (1939)

This mushroom is prized as a source of natural dye. According to Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast (2016), it is the "holy grail of California dye mushrooms" and when used with "a neutral pH (around 7) and an alum mordant" for the red and a pH of 4 for orange.^[3]

See also

• List of Cortinarius species