Please Enable JavaScript in your Browser to Visit this Site.

top of page

Clouded agaric - Clitocybe nebularis

  • Writer: The Foraging Course Company
    The Foraging Course Company
  • Apr 17
  • 2 min read

Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis) growing in leaf litter

Suspected poisonous mushroom - intermediate Season - autumn to winter Common names Clouded agaric, clouded funnel


Scientific name meaning: Clitocybe is from the Greek Klitos meaning slope. Nebularis is Latin in origin, meaning smokey or clouded

Habitat

Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis) growing in a circle in leaf litter

The clouded agaric is a saprobic mushroom found growing in leaf litter.

Overall structure and growth

Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis) growing in a circle in leaf litter

Quite a large mushroom gorwing in rings or partial rings.

Cap

The cap of Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis)

Grey in colour, sometimes with cloud-like pattern near its centre, the cap can reach 5 to 20cm wide and is fleshy. It is convex or slightly conical at first, flattening with age becoming slightly funnel-shaped.

The edge sometimes become wavy in older specimens and often the cap edge remains inrolled.

Gills and spores

The gills of Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis)

Crowded and adnate (broadly attached) or slightly decurrent (running down the stem), the gills start off white. As the mushroom matures, the gills become cream-coloured. The spore colour is pale cream.

Stem

The stem of Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis)

Sturdy, smooth and cream to grey in colour, the stem is usually 2 to 3cm wide an 5 to 12cm tall. It has no ring and a swollen base, often swelling more to one side.

Flesh, smell and taste

The flesh of Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis)

The creamy-white flesh is solid. |The smell is mild to fruity but there is no real taste.

Possible lookalikes

Wood blewits (Clitocybe nuda) in spruce leaf litter

Could be confused with the seriously poisonous livid pinkgill (Entoloma sinuatum), which has a slightly unpleasant smell and gills that turn pink with age. Also could be confused with the wood blewit (Lepista nuda), but this has pale lilac gills.


Suspected poisonous parts This mushroom is poisonous uncooked. Even if it is cooked it is considered poisonous by some and edible with caution by others. Regardless, this mushroom causes severe gastric distress in a significant number of people. Because of this, The Foraging Course Company advises against eating this mushroom Hazards This mushroom is suspected to be poisonous and consumption of it is not advised


Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known

If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses Has shown potential as a natural insecticide 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!






Comments


Commenting on this post isn't available anymore. Contact the site owner for more info.
bottom of page