Funeral bell
Galerina marginata · Galerinas (Galerina)
Deadly poisonous
Recognise it safely – what matters
- Stem below the ring silvery and fibrous – sheathed woodtuft: dark and shaggy-scaly
- Often grows on the same wood as the sheathed woodtuft, sometimes even between them
- When in doubt: leave every cluster
Features
- Cap
- 1.5–5 cm, honey to ochre brown, dries paler from the centre; margin striate.
- Underside
- Gills: ochre, later rust brown.
- Stem
- Thin; short-lived ring. Below the ring silvery-fibrous with lengthwise streaks – not scaly.
- Flesh
- Brownish, thin.
- Smell
- Mealy
- Spore print
- Rust brown
Season
Habitat
In clusters on rotting wood and stumps, mainly of conifers, less often broadleaf wood. In mild weather almost all year round.
Fijnspar, Den, andere boomsoorten
Risk of confusion
If someone has eaten it
Nothing at first. Then violent vomiting and diarrhoea, often followed by a deceptive improvement – while the liver is being severely damaged. Without early treatment, liver failure can follow. First symptoms: usually 6–24 hours after eating.
Act immediately – even without symptoms:
- Emergency number 112 if someone feels unwell.
- Poison centre: Germany – area code of the nearest city with a poison centre + 19240 (e.g. Berlin 030 19240, Munich 089 19240) · Austria +43 1 406 43 43 · Switzerland 145.
- Keep leftovers, trimmings or vomit – it helps with identification.
Never identify mushrooms by pictures or an app alone. When in doubt, ask a mushroom expert – and only pick what you know for sure.