Fool's Funnel

Habitat

This mushroom is primarily found on the ground in open, grassy areas such as lawns, pastures, parks, and urban environments. It typically grows in troops, clusters, arcs, or rings, and is sometimes found along path edges, roadsides, or in sand dunes. Preferred substrates include sandy soil and ground covered with short grass.

Photos

Appearance

Cap

1–7 cm wide; initially convex with an inrolled margin, becoming flattened and eventually depressed or funnel-shaped. The surface is dry, smooth, or finely powdery/silky, often featuring concentric rings, radial streaks, or grayish-tan "water spots." Color ranges from white to buff or light grayish-brown, frequently developing pinkish-brown blotches or cracks with age.

Stem

2–6 cm long and 4–20 mm thick; cylindrical or sometimes flattened, grooved, and twisted. It is colored similarly to the cap, often becoming darker grayish-brown or ocher where handled. The texture is tough and slightly silky or mealy, frequently with white woolly mycelium at the base.

Gills

Crowded and adnate to decurrent; initially white to whitish-gray, sometimes developing buff, cream, or greyish-pink tints, occasionally showing orange zones.

Flesh

Thin and whitish to pale grayish or buff; it can be firm-stringy or rubbery in texture.

Spore print

White to whitish.

Odor

Variable, described as faint and sweet, slightly mealy, or indistinct.

Edibility

This species is deadly poisonous and contains lethal concentrations of muscarine, which causes sweating, salivation, respiratory distress, and potential cardiac arrest. It is frequently confused with the edible Fairy Ring Champignon, but can be distinguished by its crowded gills, whereas the edible species has well-spaced gills. It also resembles the edible Miller mushroom, but lacks that species' pink spores and strong flour-like scent. Extreme caution is urged when foraging in grassy areas, as this mushroom often grows in close proximity to edible grassland species.

Nutrient Source

It obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves and other plant material found in grassy areas.

Common Names

Danish

Bleg tragthat, Eng-tragthat

Dutch

Giftige weidetrechterzwam

English

Ivory Funnel, Fool's Funnel, Cracking Clitocybe, Sweating Mushroom

Finnish

myrkkymalikka

French

Clitocybe blanc-ivoire, Clitocybe blanchi, Clitocybe du bord des routes

German

Rinnigbereifter Trichterling

Norwegian Bokmål

lumsk traktsopp

Norwegian Nynorsk

lumsk trektsopp

Scottish Gaelic

clitocybean sgàineach, clitocybe sgàineach

Swedish

gifttrattskivling

Welsh

Twmffat/Twndish Rhychog

Synonyms

• Agaricus dealbatus
• Agaricus rivulosus
• Clitocybe dealbata — Ivory Funnel, Sweating Mushroom
• Omphalia dealbata
• Omphalia rivulosa