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Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), whole fruiting body
Pieter Huybrechts · CC0
Inedible

Porcelain fungus

Oudemansiella mucida · Physalacriaceae

The porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida) is a translucent, glossy white, slimy-capped mushroom that grows in clusters on dead beech trunks and branches.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial team5 sources checkedReport a correction

FamilyPhysalacriaceae
SeasonJun, Sep–Nov
Spore printWhite
Cap width2–8 cm
Stem length3–10 cm
Records in Turkey29 records
CultivationWild only
StatusInedible

The porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida) is a translucent, glossy white, slimy-capped mushroom that grows in clusters on dead beech trunks and branches. It has widely spaced white gills and a distinct membranous ring on its slender stem. It is not considered poisonous, but because of its heavy slime and low culinary value our advice is not to eat it; its white, ringed look makes any confusion with deadly Amanita species dangerous.

Also called: poached egg fungus, beech tuft Turkish: Porselen mantarı, odun perisi Synonyms: Mucidula mucida

Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), whole fruiting body

How to recognise it

Porcelain fungus, part by part

No volva Spore print: White Not distinctive.

Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), cap seen from above
Cap2–8 cm, hemispherical at first, then convex; translucent porcelain white or faintly greyish cream, very slimy and glossy when wet.
Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), gills under the cap, seen from below
GillsWhite, broad, widely spaced gills attached to the stem.
Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), stem and stem base
Stem3–10 cm tall and 3–10 mm thick, slender and tough; white above the ring, greyish and scaly below, slightly thickened at the base.
Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), whole fruiting body
RingPresent: a distinct, membranous, persistent ring on the upper stem.

When and where

Jun, Sep–Nov

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Junin season
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sepin season
  10. Octin season
  11. Novin season
  12. Dec

The porcelain fungus appears from late summer to late autumn. Our Turkish records fall in June, September, October and November, the great majority in October.

Type Inedible

Months seen JuneSeptemberOctoberNovember

Colour White

Regions Black Sea RegionMarmara RegionDüzceSinopSamsunKastamonuBoluIstanbulKırklareli

Where does porcelain fungus grow?

Almost exclusively on beech: dead or fallen trunks, cut branches and sometimes high dead branches of living trees; rarely on oak. It grows in clusters on wood, never from soil.

Where is porcelain fungus found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 29 Turkish records: 16 from Istanbul, 3 each from Kırklareli and Düzce, 2 each from Zonguldak and Bolu, and one each from Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun. It has also been published from Yenice in Karabük under its synonym Mucidula mucida (Kaşık et al., 2022).

Which months

  1. Jan0
  2. Feb0
  3. Mar0
  4. Apr0
  5. May0
  6. Jun1
  7. Jul0
  8. Aug0
  9. Sep2
  10. Oct22
  11. Nov4
  12. Dec0

porcelain fungus map of Turkey: all provinces and months →

8 provinces, 29 observations (GBIF, iNaturalist); months from observation dates. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Latest porcelain fungus 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.

Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), in its natural habitat
In its habitat

Look-alikes

What could it be confused with?

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

Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida), whole fruiting body
This species Porcelain fungus
Destroying angel (Amanita virosa), whole fruiting body Deadly

not Porcelain fungus

Destroying angel Amanita virosa

The destroying angel is also white and ringed, but it grows from soil, has a sac-like volva at the stem base and its cap is not slimy and translucent. The porcelain fungus grows only on wood, in clusters.

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), whole fruiting body Edible species

not Porcelain fungus

Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

The oyster mushroom also grows in clusters on wood, but its stem is short and off-centre or absent, it has no ring and its cap is not slimy.

Rooting shank (Hymenopellis radicata) Inedible

not Porcelain fungus

Rooting shank Hymenopellis radicata

A close relative, but it grows singly, has a brownish wrinkled cap, no ring, and a long root-like stem extending down to buried wood.

What it contains

It has little culinary value: the flesh is thin and the cap heavily slimy. It produces compounds called strobilurins that suppress competing fungi, and these were the starting point for the strobilurin class of agricultural fungicides.

General information, not a health claim.

The porcelain fungus is not known to be poisonous; some sources say it is edible once the slime is washed off, others that it can cause mild upsets. It has little culinary value, and its white, ringed look can be confused with deadly Amanita species. Our advice is not to eat it. If poisoning is suspected, call poison control and keep any leftover mushroom.

Frequently asked questions

Is the porcelain fungus edible?

Our advice is not to eat it. It is not known to be poisonous and some sources say it is edible once washed, but it has little culinary value and can be confused with white poisonous mushrooms.

Is the porcelain fungus poisonous?

It is generally not considered poisonous, though a few sources mention mild upsets. The real risk is confusing it with white, ringed deadly Amanita species.

Why is it so slimy?

The cap is covered in a translucent, slippery layer of slime, which is what mucida in its Latin name refers to. In wet weather it looks very glossy.

How do you tell it from the destroying angel?

The porcelain fungus grows only on beech wood, in clusters, and has no volva. The destroying angel grows singly from soil and has a sac-like volva at the stem base.

Which trees does it grow on?

Almost only on beech: dead trunks, fallen trees and cut branches, and sometimes high dead branches of living trees.

When does it appear?

From late summer to late autumn; most Turkish records are from October.

Does it have other names?

Its Latin synonym is Mucidula mucida. A published Turkish macrofungi list also gives it the Turkish name odun perisi.

Where is it found in Turkey?

Our map data holds 29 records from Istanbul, Kırklareli, Düzce, Zonguldak, Bolu, Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun, with a published record from Karabük too.

When is porcelain fungus season in Turkey?

In our calendar, porcelain fungus season runs Jun, Sep–Nov. The porcelain fungus appears from late summer to late autumn. Our Turkish records fall in June, September, October and November, the great majority in October.

Where does porcelain fungus grow?

Almost exclusively on beech: dead or fallen trunks, cut branches and sometimes high dead branches of living trees; rarely on oak. It grows in clusters on wood, never from soil.

Where is porcelain fungus found in Turkey?

Our map data (GBIF and iNaturalist) holds 29 Turkish records: 16 from Istanbul, 3 each from Kırklareli and Düzce, 2 each from Zonguldak and Bolu, and one each from Kastamonu, Sinop and Samsun. It has also been published from Yenice in Karabük under its synonym Mucidula mucida (Kaşık et al., 2022).

What can porcelain fungus be confused with?

Porcelain fungus can be confused with destroying angel (Amanita virosa, deadly), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus, edible species) and rooting shank (Hymenopellis radicata, inedible). Look-alikes are compared on this page.

What is porcelain fungus called in Turkish?

In Turkish, porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida) is called Porselen mantarı; other local names include odun perisi.

Related species

All species → · Identify by photo →

Sources

  1. Kaşık ve ark. (2022), KSÜ Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi 25(6): Macrofungi of Yenice (Karabük) District and New Records for Turkey dergipark.org.tr
  2. Wikipedia (EN): Oudemansiella mucida en.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Oudemansiella mucida, Porcelain Fungus first-nature.com
All sources (5)
  1. iNaturalist: Oudemansiella mucida (Türkçe ad ve Türkiye gözlemleri) inaturalist.org
  2. GBIF: Türkiye kayıtları gbif.org
Photo credits (11)