| Dermocybe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dermocybe semisanguinea | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Cortinariaceae |
| Genus: | Dermocybe |
The fungi of the Dermocybe group, commonly known as skin-heads, form a group within the huge genus Cortinarius . They are generally considered to be a subgenus though some authorities consider them to form a genus in their own right.
They can be distinguished from other Cortinarius species by:
- their brilliant colours, especially of the gills,
- their non-hygrophanous dry cap, and
- their dry cylindrical (non-bulbous) stem.
An example with a vivid green colour is Dermocybe austroveneta . Another example is D. semisanguinea (pictured), which from above is an ordinary brown colour, but which shows a striking blood-red sheen when the underside of the cap is viewed. Lethal webcaps, some of world's most poisonous mushrooms belong to the group.[ citation needed ]
The Austrian Professor Meinhard Moser (1924-2002), whose book is referenced, was one of the authorities who promote Dermocybe to the status of a genus.
