Fool's funnel - Clitocybe rivulosa
- The Foraging Course Company
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Deadly poisonous mushroom - intermediate identification Season - summer to late autumn Common names Fool's funnel, false champignon
Scientific name meaning: Clitocybe is from the Greek Klitos meaning slope. Rivulosa is from the Latin Rivulus, meaning a channel, grove or stream
Habitat  The fool's funnel grows in sandy grassland or coastal dunes. |
Overall structure and growth  A saprobic fungus living on dead and decaying organic matter under the sward. It grows in rings and partials rings, and usually has irregularly shaped caps. |
Cap  The smooth cap starts off slightly convex before flattening out. It sometimes depresses or forms a shallow funnel. It is a white, pale buff or buff-grey colour and 1 to 6cm wide. Sometimes the margin of the cap is slightly inrolled. |
Gills and spores  The white to buff gills are crowded and run slightly decurrently down the stem. The spore colour is white. |
Stem  White or grey/buff-coloured, the stem is ringless and around 4cm tall, and 0.5 to 1cm wide. The base is sometimes downy. |
Flesh and smell  The flesh is white and smell is sweet. This mushroom is deadly poisonous so should not be tasted. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with mousseron (Marasmius oreades), on right of picture, which also grows in rings in grassland. But, its gills are adenexed or free, while those of the fool's funnel, on left of picture, are decurrent (run down the stem). The fool's funnel also lacks an umbo. Very similar to the also deadly ivory funnel (Clitocybe dealbata), often considered to be the same species. |
Poisonous parts All parts of this mushroom are deadly poisonous Hazards This mushroom is deadly poisonous do not consume
Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Food source for many invertebrates
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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