Beware the Fool’s Funnel
Experienced foragers often say, if you want to familiarise yourself with only a few mushrooms, it’s always best to recognise the deadly ones! Wise words indeed.
The Fool’s Funnel (Clitocybe rivulosa aka C.dealbata) is one of the more common poisonous species to be found in the UK, as well as in Europe and North America. It appears, alarmingly enough, in some very ‘people orientated’ places such as lawns, parks, road sides etc; in sandy soil, during late summer to late autumn.
The toxic culprit here is muscarine (found in many other poisonous fungi), and with a good dose it can cause some very unpleasant symptoms, and in some cases – death. So it goes without saying, don’t be too hasty in picking these innocent looking mushrooms. Here’s what to look out for:
Although not that large (around 4-6cm when mature), they often grow in small to medium groups and sometimes partial or full rings in grass. One of the largest partial rings I found were right in the middle of a local park.
The cap is powdered white often with concentric rings or blotch marks which show the darker buff coloured flesh beneath (or even cracking, depending on condition). This is a good identification marker to note. The shape is initially rounded but it soon flattens out, usually developing the common ‘funnel shape’ and the margin remains slightly inrolled.
I stipulated on my mushroom identification page that there are no ‘golden rules’ or ‘one tip fits all’ in identifying different species, but if you want a good rule, then always be extremely wary of white gilled mushrooms. Several deadly species have white gills, but then again they can also have different coloured gills! So I guess what I’m trying to say is – ‘If you don’t know it, then don’t eat it‘ – simple. (I’m not sure if that was pointless and wasted paragraph! But there you go…)
In this case (typical for a funnel mushroom) the white/whitish-buff gills run decurrently down the stem (which share the same colour as the cap). They are quite crowded and turn more buff coloured as the fungi ages.
Last but not least; the flesh, if crushed between the fingers, will deliver a ‘sweetish’ smell, but I’d advise you wash or wipe your hands afterwards, and make sure you’re not tempted to a little nibble!
Clitocybe rivulosa where the white powder surface has faded to reveal the darker flesh beneath. In this case, it has a ‘cracked’ appearance.
Notice the markings here on the cap surface of these slightly younger examples. Typical trait of the Fools Funnel.
QUICK ID TABLE: FOOLS FUNNEL Clitocybe rivulosa / C.dealbata |
CAP / FLESH 3-6cm diameter. Initially convex, then flattened out, often funnel shaped. Powdered white, often with concentric or buff flesh markings. Flesh is buff; smells sweet. STEM 2-4 x 0.5-1cm; similar colouring as cap. Often slightly woolly at the base. GILLS / SPORE PRINT White/Whitish-buff, decurrent and crowded. HABITAT / SEASON In small-medium groups, full or partial rings in grass of gardens, parks, roadsides, path edges (sandy soil). Summer – autumn. EDIBILITY Deadly poisonous. Contains muscarine. |
Hi John
Yes its thanks to your excellent book, that I now feel confident (but not too confident), about what I bring home.
Unfortunately my wife has also read your book, so will not eat the mushrooms I bring home for her. :-)
Kind regards
JohnB
Great stuff. You’ll just have to make mushroom soup instead! Still, I don’t think she’d trust you. lol
Hi there,
Can you tell me whether the Fool’s Funnel mushroom is a native British mushroom or whether it was brought here from America. please?
Very good question – but one I unfortunately don’t know the answer to. Fungi and fungi spores have moved from one place to another via human travel/intervention. I do know that Cauliflower Fungus (Sparassis crispa) settled in the UK after soldiers returning after World War I, brought spores back (from the mud on their boots) from the battlefields in France. If anyone out there does know, it would be interesting to hear…
It certainly would. But thank you so much.
I never got round to coming back here earlier, but I did manage to find out from the British Mycological Society over on Twitter that, although they couldn’t be certain, they thought it was very likely to be around in the UK in the 12th century, so I was safely able to use it in the novel I was writing.
Thanks for the update Loretta. That’s really interesting and if anybody would have a good idea, it would be the British Mycological Society.
All the best, and good luck with the novel.
Hi there, is there an easy way to tell if it’s fools funnel mushroom or a fairy ring mushroom?
Like can you rub the mushroom on your wrist and get a reaction or something.
Are there any very obvious differences between these and things such as Snowy Waxcaps? I bring them home a lot and don’t want to poison any of my family!
Good question. They are similar. But if you had them side by side, you do notice the difference.
A good way is to get used to what Waxcaps characteristics are and hopefully find a few to confirm.
They’re naturally waxy/super smooth and the gills are less numerous, relatively ‘thicker’ and widely spaced while the Fool’s Funnel has more fine, numerous, crowded gills.
It is tricky I know. But once you get familiar with Waxcaps (most abundant in Oct/Nov), you’ll see what I mean.
When wet, do they have little yellow wet droplets?
Hi Trinity, not in my experience. I haven’t seen that as a characteristic feature, or at least a reliable one. But there may be tiny droplets that do hang on the gills after rain.
So would I be correct to assume if it has an umbo, it is not the false funnel and is very likely to be trooping funnel?
Thanks
I’d say so, yes. The umbo of the Trooping Funnel is very distinct, plus the fact that they grow in mixed woodland settings rather than grassy areas.
I never got round to coming back here earlier, but I did manage to find out from the British Mycological Society over on Twitter that, although they couldn’t be certain, they thought it was very likely to be around in the UK in the 12th century, so I was safely able to use it in the novel I was writing.