Honey mushroom or Deadly galerina
Armillaria species · Galerina marginata
Amatoxins, the same class as in the death cap
A deceptive delay. Symptoms often hold off six to twenty-four hours, by which time the toxin has been absorbed and the liver is already being destroyed. There may then be a false recovery before organ failure. Treatment is intensive and transplant is sometimes the only option.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Honey mushroom | Deadly galerina |
|---|---|---|
| 01Spore print | White or cream. | Rusty brown. This alone separates them and takes a few hours. |
| 02Growth habit | Usually dense clusters on hardwood, often at the base of living or dead trees. | Scattered or clustered on decaying conifer wood, often small groups on very rotten logs. |
| 03Size and build | Larger and fleshier, cap often with fine dark scales. | Small, thin, smooth, unremarkable brown. |
Where people go wrong
Both are small brown mushrooms on wood, in clusters, at the same time of year. This is the pair that kills experienced foragers, and the only reliable answer is a spore print every single time.
The specimen sheets
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