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Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), whole fruiting body
Dominicus Johannes Bergsma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Inedible

Clouded funnel

Clitocybe nebularis · Clitocybaceae

The clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis) is a large, fleshy, smoky-grey mushroom that often grows in rings or rows in woodland leaf litter.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team6 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyClitocybaceae
SeasonOct–Jan
Spore printCream to pale yellow
Cap width5–20 cm
Stem length6–10 cm
Records in Turkey22 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis) is a large, fleshy, smoky-grey mushroom that often grows in rings or rows in woodland leaf litter. It has a distinctive heavy, sweetish-rancid smell. It used to be considered edible, but since it has been reported to cause stomach upsets in many people, it is now treated as not edible.

Also called: clouded agaric, cloudy clitocybe Turkish: Dumanlı mantar Synonyms: Lepista nebularis

Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Clouded funnel, part by part

No ring or volva Spore print: Cream to pale yellow Strong and distinctive; described as sweetish, rancid or like stale flour.

Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), whole fruiting body
Cap5–20 cm; convex, then flattening with a slight central depression. Smoky grey to grey-brown, darker at the centre, with a whitish bloom when young. The margin stays inrolled for a long time.
Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsGills crowded, cream to pale yellowish, slightly decurrent and easily scraped off with a finger.
Stem6–10 cm, 1.5–3 cm thick, fibrous, pale grey; the base is swollen and covered with leaf litter.

When and where

Oct–Jan

  1. Janin season
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Decin season

The clouded funnel appears in late autumn and early winter; Turkish records run from October to January, peaking in January and December.

Type Inedible

Months seen OctoberNovemberDecemberJanuary

Colour GreyBrown

Regions Black Sea RegionMediterranean RegionMarmara RegionOsmaniyeKocaeliBoluIstanbulKırklareli

Where does clouded funnel grow?

In broadleaf and conifer woods on thick leaf or needle litter, often forming fairy rings or long rows.

Where is clouded funnel found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 22 Turkish records, most from Istanbul, plus Bolu, Kocaeli, Osmaniye and Kırklareli.

Which months

  1. Jan9
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun0
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep0
  10. Oct4
  11. Nov3
  12. Dec6

clouded funnel map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

5 provinces, 22 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest clouded funnel observations

On "illustrative" cards the image is a photo of the species; the observation photo cannot be shown here because of its licence, but can be seen at the source.

Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

Clouded funnel can be mistaken for the species below. Each card shows the look-alike and how it differs from Clouded funnel.

Clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis), whole fruiting body
This species Clouded funnel
Livid pinkgill (Entoloma sinuatum), whole fruiting body Poisonous

not Clouded funnel

Livid pinkgill Entoloma sinuatum

The livid pinkgill's gills turn from yellowish to pink and its spore print is pink; the clouded funnel's gills are cream and its spore print cream-yellow.

Wood blewit (Lepista nuda), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Clouded funnel

Wood blewit Lepista nuda

The wood blewit has lilac-violet tones on cap, gills and stem and a fruity smell. The clouded funnel has no violet tone.

Trooping funnel (Infundibulicybe geotropa), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Clouded funnel

Trooping funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa

It also grows in rings, but its cap is cream to buff with a clear central bump and its stem is long; the clouded funnel is greyer, with a shorter, thicker stem.

What it contains

In Europe it is now among the species not recommended for eating; it has no place in the kitchen.

General information, not a health claim.

The clouded funnel used to be eaten cooked, but it has been reported to cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in many people, and the compound nebularine it contains is thought to be harmful. It is also confused with the poisonous livid pinkgill. Do not eat it. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the clouded funnel edible?

No. It used to be eaten, but as it has been reported to cause stomach upsets in many people, it is now treated as not edible.

Is it poisonous?

Cases of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea have been reported; it is not deadly. The bigger danger is confusing it with the poisonous livid pinkgill.

How do you identify it?

A large smoky-grey cap, crowded cream gills, a thick stem with a swollen base, a strong sweetish-rancid smell and a cream spore print.

Why does it grow in rings?

Its mycelium spreads outwards in a circle in the soil and the mushrooms appear at the edge. These are known as fairy rings.

When does it appear?

In late autumn and early winter; Turkish records run from October to January.

Where is it found in Turkey?

Most of the 22 records in our map data are from Istanbul, with others from Bolu, Kocaeli, Osmaniye and Kırklareli.

Can it be confused with the wood blewit?

They can grow in the same places at the same time. The wood blewit is lilac-violet all over with a fruity smell; the clouded funnel is grey.

Does another mushroom grow on it?

Yes. A small white mushroom, Volvariella surrecta, grows only on the caps of the clouded funnel; it is rare.

When is clouded funnel season in Turkey?

In our calendar, clouded funnel season runs Oct–Jan. The clouded funnel appears in late autumn and early winter; Turkish records run from October to January, peaking in January and December.

Where does clouded funnel grow?

In broadleaf and conifer woods on thick leaf or needle litter, often forming fairy rings or long rows.

Where is clouded funnel found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 22 Turkish records, most from Istanbul, plus Bolu, Kocaeli, Osmaniye and Kırklareli.

What can clouded funnel be confused with?

Clouded funnel can be confused with livid pinkgill (Entoloma sinuatum, poisonous), wood blewit (Lepista nuda, edible species) and trooping funnel (Infundibulicybe geotropa, edible species). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is clouded funnel called in Turkish?

In Turkish, clouded funnel (Clitocybe nebularis) is called Dumanlı mantar.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Dizeci ve ark. (2021), Mycologia: Clitocybe nebularis ve Infundibulicybe geotropa karşılaştırması pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Sabotič ve Kos (2019), Molecules: Clitocybe nebularis lektini pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Wikipedia (EN): Clitocybe nebularis en.wikipedia.org
All sources (6)
  1. First Nature: Clitocybe nebularis first-nature.com
  2. iNaturalist: Clitocybe nebularis (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  3. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (15)