Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names Aniseed funnel, aniseed funnel cap, aniseed toadstool, aniseed mushroom
Scientific name meaning: Clitocybe is from the Greek Klitos, meaning slope. Odora is from the Latin Odorus, meaning fragrant
Habitat  Aniseed funnel is a saprobic fungus that can be found in leaf litter. |
Overall structure and growth  Can be found as individual specimens of growing in rings or partial rings. The fruit bodies can be quite variable in appearance particularly in the cap, which frequently has an undulating appearance. |
Cap  The cap starts off blue-grey in colour and pales to buff with age. It is convex at first and flattens before becoming slightly funnelled with a wavy edge. It is 3 to 8cm wide. |
Gills and spores  The slightly decurrent (running down the stem) gills are grey-white and not too widely spaced. The spore colour is white. |
Stem  The grey stem is covered with fine white fibres. It is 0.5 to 1cm wide, 4 to 6cm tall and swollen at its base. Has no ring or skirt. |
Flesh, smell and taste  The flesh is white to pale grey-blue and the fruit body smells and tastes strongly of aniseed. The smell intensifies with drying. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with the aniseed-scented suspect (possibly poisonous) fragrant funnel (Clitocybe fragrans) but this is cream coloured in its cap. Also, could be mistaken for the blue roundhead (Stropharia caerulea), pictured, but this does not smell of aniseed. |
Use as a food This mushroom is strongly aniseed flavoured. It makes good sauces for fish and a flavouring for soups, stews and risottos. It can be dried, powered and used as a flavouring Hazards This mushroom often grows near roads. Mushrooms can bioaccumulate toxins, including heavy metals, so roadside harvesting should be avoided
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Has been shown to inhibit sarcoma growth in mice
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Provides food for a the larvae of a number of fly species
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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