Ivory funnel (Clitocybe dealbata): How to Recognise It
Quick answer
Ivory funnel, Clitocybe dealbata: muscarine, serious poisoning. Cap, gills, stem and habitat to check, what it is confused with, and what to do after a suspected ingestion. Not a guide to eating.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: Wikipedia, first-nature.com
Take a photo to learn what it might be. Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Scientific name: Clitocybe dealbata
- Common names: ivory funnel, fool's funnel, sweating mushroom
- Toxin: muscarine
- Severity: serious poisoning
- First symptoms: Profuse salivation, sweating, and tearing appear within 15 to 30 minutes of ingestion.
- Cap: Small (2-6 cm), white to pale gray, funnel-shaped, margin often wavy and inrolled.
- Gills: Adnate to decurrent, white, crowded, developing a grayish-pink tinge with age.
- Stem, ring and volva: Stem 2-4 cm long, smooth or floury, white, downy at the base, no ring.
- Spore print: White.
- Where and when it grows: Grassy habitats such as lawns and meadows, in summer and autumn; often gregarious or forming fairy rings.
How to recognise Ivory funnel
- Cap: Small (2-6 cm), white to pale gray, funnel-shaped, margin often wavy and inrolled.
- Gills: Adnate to decurrent, white, crowded, developing a grayish-pink tinge with age.
- Stem, ring and volva: Stem 2-4 cm long, smooth or floury, white, downy at the base, no ring.
- Spore print: White.
- Where and when it grows: Grassy habitats such as lawns and meadows, in summer and autumn; often gregarious or forming fairy rings.
Easily confused with
- fairy ring champignon, Marasmius oreades: The two look similar; there is no reliable way to distinguish them by smell or taste, so expert identification is needed.
What happens if it is eaten
Toxin: muscarine. Severity: serious poisoning. Timing: Profuse salivation, sweating, and tearing appear within 15 to 30 minutes of ingestion. A delayed start is the dangerous part: hours without symptoms do not mean the mushroom was harmless.
What to do if someone may have eaten it
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S.) right away, or your local emergency number. Keep any leftover mushroom, a photo of it, and note when it was eaten. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home remedies. This page does not give medical advice.
What a photo can and cannot do
A clear photo of the whole mushroom, including the base dug out of the ground, the gills and a spore print, lets the app and a mycologist narrow down what it might be and flag features that match Ivory funnel. No photo, app or website can confirm that a wild mushroom is safe to eat. Use identification to know what to avoid, not what to cook.
FAQ
Is ivory funnel deadly?
Ivory funnel is classed here as: serious poisoning. Its toxin is muscarine. Treat any suspected ingestion as an emergency.
Where does ivory funnel grow?
Grassy habitats such as lawns and meadows, in summer and autumn; often gregarious or forming fairy rings.
Can the app tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat?
No. The app helps you see which features match known species, including toxic ones, so you know what to stay away from. It never declares a wild mushroom safe.
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Take a photo to learn what it might be. Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website.
Sources
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clitocybe_dealbata
- first-nature.comwww.first-nature.com/fungi/clitocybe-rivulosa.php
Compiled by the MushroomLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.