How to identify Common Funnel

To correctly identify Common Funnel (Clitocybe infundibuliformis), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   The cap measures 3-10 cm in diameter. Initially convex with a central depression, it soon becomes deeply funnel-shaped, often with a wavy or lobed margin. The color varies from pale buff, cream, or yellowish-tan to reddish-brown, often fading with age. The surface is dry and smooth, sometimes slightly downy when young.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   The gills are decurrent (running down the stem), crowded, and narrow. They are typically whitish to cream or pale buff, often concolorous with the cap or slightly paler.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is 3-8 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm thick, central, and often tapering towards the base. It is concolorous with the cap or slightly paler, smooth or finely fibrillose, and often has a slightly swollen base. It is solid when young, becoming hollow with age.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is thin, soft, and whitish, not changing color when cut or bruised. It has a mild taste and a faint, pleasant, sometimes slightly aromatic odor.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is typically funnel-shaped, ranging from convex with a depressed center when young to deeply infundibuliform (funnel-shaped) with an uplifted margin in maturity.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Saprobic, growing on leaf litter, woody debris, or soil in deciduous and coniferous woodlands. It can be found singly, scattered, or in small groups.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Dry, smooth, sometimes finely downy when young

Growth Form

Solitary, scattered, or in small groups

Spore Print

White to cream

Body color

Pale buff, cream, yellowish-tan to reddish-brown

Odor

Faint, pleasant, slightly aromatic

Flesh bruises

No

Height

3-8 cm

Cap Diameter

3-10 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Decurrent
• Stem shape: Cylindrical, often tapering towards the base
• Stem surface: Smooth or finely fibrillose
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid when young, becoming hollow with age

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