Fool’s Funnel
Poisonous 
Autumn 
Summer 
There is now some controversy as to whether Clitocybe rivulosa and Clitocybe dealbata are close variants of the same species or separate species, with C. dealbata growing inland and C. rivulosa growing nearer the coast.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Fool's Funnel (EN), The Ivory Funnel, Twmffat / Twndish Rhychog (CY), Lejkówka Jadowita (PL), Mezei Tölcsérgomba (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Clitocybe rivulosa |
| Synonyms | Clitocybe dealbata |
| Season Start | Jul |
| Season End | Nov |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 5-8 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 3-6 |
Cap
3-6 cm. Convex to flattening becoming depressed in the middle with a slightly inrolled edge. White and slightly dusty when young, very pale grey/brown on aging.
Gills
Gills white/cream, running down the stem (decurrent), fairly broad, becoming pinkish buff. Crowded.
Stem
4-7cm long, 0.5-1 cm diameter. White/Off-white, can have a tan blush. No skirt.
Flesh
Off white.
Habitat
Pasture, fields, lawns, beside paths and roadsides, frequently in rings or troops.
Possible Confusion
The Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades). The gills are important for separating these two mushrooms. The gills of the Fairy Ring Champignon are free of the stem (see photo) while the gills of the Ivory Funnel are decurrent, they run down the stem.
Spore Print
White. Ellipsoid.
Taste / Smell
No part of this mushroom should be tasted.
Frequency
Common.
Other Facts
This mushroom is DEADLY POISONOUS, it contains a lethal amount of muscarine. The antidote for muscarine poisoning is atropine.
7 comments for Fool’s Funnel
I think I have found this yesterday in my lawn two days ago 23 March in Kent, UK. Everything fits, but the timing. Can it appear in Spring?
I havent seen any in Spring but that doesn’t mean that unusual conditions couldn’t bring them out early.
I wish there was a way of sending photo’s of what we find for ID
Hi Stuart, you can send photos to [email protected]. If you do can you send one mushroom at a time with photos of the stem, cap and gills, attached and not embedded to the e-mail and tell us about where it was found and any smells you can detect.
Having been a gardener for many years I can confidently say this (C. dealbata/rivulosa) regularly appears in garden lawns as incomplete fairy rings, wobbly rings or as individuals – they can even appear as rings within rings of Marasmius oreades so extra care is needed when collecting M. oreades for the pot.
oh my goodness me !!! I picked one of these up in my local woodland 🤣, just reading now that it’s poison omg 😱 are they safe to touch ?
Touching a poisonous mushroom will do you no harm, you need to ingest the mushroom for it to have any effect.