Fairy ring champignon or Ivory funnel
Marasmius oreades · Clitocybe dealbata, C. rivulosa
Muscarine, at a far higher concentration than the fly agaric contains
Sweating, streaming eyes, heavy salivation, pin-point pupils and a slowed heart within half an hour. Distressing, occasionally dangerous in the frail, and it responds well to atropine in hospital.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Fairy ring champignon | Ivory funnel |
|---|---|---|
| 01Gill spacing and attachment | Widely spaced, pale cream, and NOT running down the stem. | Crowded, white, and clearly running down the stem. |
| 02Cap shape | A low broad bump in the centre, tan, drying paler. | Flat then funnelled, chalky white, often faintly watermarked in zones. |
| 03The stem test | Tough and pliable. It can be twisted around a finger without breaking. | Brittle. It snaps. |
| 04Where the ring is | Both grow in rings in grass, so the ring proves nothing at all. | The same lawns, often the same ring. |
Where people go wrong
Fairy ring champignons are picked casually, by the handful, from lawns, by people who have picked them for years. The ivory funnel grows in the same grass in the same arcs. Check gill attachment on every single cap rather than on the first one.
This page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is safe, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it, and if you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre immediately and keep an uncooked specimen for identification.
Other pairs