Fool's conecap (Conocybe filaris): How to Recognise It
Quick answer
Fool's conecap, Conocybe filaris: amatoxin, can be fatal. 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
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: Conocybe filaris
- Common names: fool's conecap, deadly conocybe
- Toxin: amatoxin (alpha-amanitin)
- Severity: can be fatal
- Cap: Conical, expanding to flat, often with an umbo; under 3 cm; smooth, brown.
- Gills: Rusty brown, crowded, nearly adnexed.
- Stem, ring and volva: Stem slender (2 mm thick, 1-6 cm long), smooth, brown, with a prominent, movable ring.
- Spore print: Rusty brown.
- Where and when it grows: Grows in woodchips, flowerbeds, and compost piles.
- Range in North America: Found in North America, especially common in the Pacific Northwest.
How to recognise Fool's conecap
- Cap: Conical, expanding to flat, often with an umbo; under 3 cm; smooth, brown.
- Gills: Rusty brown, crowded, nearly adnexed.
- Stem, ring and volva: Stem slender (2 mm thick, 1-6 cm long), smooth, brown, with a prominent, movable ring.
- Spore print: Rusty brown.
- Where and when it grows: Grows in woodchips, flowerbeds, and compost piles.
- Range in North America: Found in North America, especially common in the Pacific Northwest.
What happens if it is eaten
Toxin: amatoxin (alpha-amanitin). Severity: can be fatal. 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 Fool's conecap. 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 fool's conecap deadly?
Fool's conecap is classed here as: can be fatal. Its toxin is amatoxin (alpha-amanitin). Treat any suspected ingestion as an emergency.
Where does fool's conecap grow?
Grows in woodchips, flowerbeds, and compost piles.
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.
More in Toxic Mushrooms of North America
- Death Cap Mushrooms (Amanita phalloides): ID and Danger
- Destroying Angel Mushroom (Amanita bisporigera): How to ID
- Western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata): How to Recognise It
- Funeral Bell Mushroom (Galerina marginata): How to ID It
- False Morel Mushrooms (Gyromitra): Poisonous, How to Tell
- Deadly Lepiota (Lepiota brunneoincarnata): How to Recognise It
- Deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus): How to Recognise It
- Brown roll-rim (Paxillus involutus): How to Recognise It
Related
Learn what's growing around you.
Start with a single scan.
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/Conocybe_rugosa
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.