bruine beukegordijnzwam
Cortinarius holophaeus
The bruine beukegordijnzwam (Cortinarius holophaeus) is a distinctive brown-capped mushroom species belonging to the webcap family, characterized by its rusty-brown spores and the cobweb-like partial veil that gives cortinarius fungi their common name. This mycorrhizal fungus forms essential symbiotic relationships with beech trees, facilitating nutrient exchange and supporting forest ecosystem health through its underground hyphal networks.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Agaricales
Family
Cortinariaceae
Genus
Cortinarius
bruine beukegordijnzwam belongs to the family Cortinariaceae, order Agaricales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
The bruine beukegordijnzwam (Cortinarius holophaeus) is a distinctive brown-capped mushroom species belonging to the webcap family, characterized by its rusty-brown spores and the cobweb-like partial veil that gives cortinarius fungi their common name. This mycorrhizal fungus forms essential symbiotic relationships with beech trees, facilitating nutrient exchange and supporting forest ecosystem health through its underground hyphal networks.
Cortinarius holophaeus is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of old-growth beech forests across Europe. The species is particularly vulnerable to forest management practices that alter soil chemistry and mycorrhizal relationships, as well as climate change impacts on its specialized forest ecosystem.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Cortinarius holophaeus occurs exclusively in mature deciduous forests dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica), particularly in undisturbed woodland areas with rich, calcareous soils and thick leaf litter layers. The species shows a strong preference for ancient forest sites with stable microclimatic conditions and minimal human disturbance.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Cortinarius holophaeus is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of old-growth beech forests across Europe. The species is particularly vulnerable to forest management practices that alter soil chemistry and mycorrhizal relationships, as well as climate change impacts on its specialized forest ecosystem.
Intensive forest management and soil disturbance
Old-growth forest loss and fragmentation
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change altering forest composition
Loss of mycorrhizal host tree relationships
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). bruine beukegordijnzwam (Cortinarius holophaeus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bruine-beukegordijnzwam