Honey mushroom or Sulphur tuft
Armillaria species · Hypholoma fasciculare
Unidentified gastrointestinal toxins, with liver damage reported at high doses
Severe vomiting and cramps for hours. Rarely fatal, and its saving grace is that it is ferociously bitter, so most people spit out the first mouthful.
Check in this order
Most decisive first
| Feature | Honey mushroom | Sulphur tuft |
|---|---|---|
| 01Gill colour when young | White to cream, flushing pinkish-brown with age. | Sulphur yellow, turning distinctly GREENISH before going purple-brown. |
| 02Spore print | White or cream. | Purple-brown. |
| 03Cap centre | Fine dark hairs or small scales, especially when young. | Smooth, yellow with a tawny centre. |
| 04Taste, on the tip of the tongue and spat out | Mild. | Violently bitter and immediately obvious. |
Where people go wrong
Both grow in dense clusters on stumps at the same time of year, and both are honey-yellow at a distance. Greenish-yellow gills are the tell, and they are visible without picking anything.
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