How to identify Aniseed Funnel

To correctly identify Aniseed Funnel (Clitocybe odora), 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 ranges from 3 to 10 cm in diameter, initially convex, becoming plano-convex to broadly umbonate, then often depressed or funnel-shaped (infundibuliform) with age. The margin is often inrolled when young, becoming wavy or lobed. The color is highly variable, typically pale blue-green, greenish-gray, or bluish-white, sometimes fading to yellowish-buff or cream, especially in dry conditions or with age. The surface is smooth, dry, and often pruinose (finely powdered) when young.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   The gills are adnate to decurrent, crowded, and relatively narrow. Their color is similar to the cap, ranging from pale blue-green to whitish or cream, sometimes with a yellowish tint. They are often slightly waxy in appearance.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is 3 to 8 cm long and 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly tapering towards the base, sometimes slightly swollen. It is often fibrous, solid, and concolorous with the cap or paler, sometimes with a whitish mycelial base. The surface is smooth or finely fibrillose.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is thin, soft, and whitish to pale greenish. It has a strong, distinctive odor of aniseed (licorice) and a mild, pleasant taste, though it should not be consumed raw for identification.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is typically agaricoid, meaning it has a cap, gills, and a stem. It is medium-sized and often has a somewhat funnel-shaped or depressed cap in maturity.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Clitocybe odora is a saprobic species, growing solitarily or in small groups on leaf litter, woody debris, or soil in deciduous and coniferous woodlands. It shows a preference for rich, humus-laden soils.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Smooth, dry, often pruinose when young

Growth Form

Solitary to gregarious

Spore Print

White to pale cream

Body color

Pale blue-green, greenish-gray, bluish-white (variable, fading to buff)

Odor

Strong aniseed

Flesh bruises

Does not bruise significantly

Height

3-8 cm

Cap Diameter

3-10 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate to decurrent
• Stem shape: Cylindrical or slightly tapering towards base
• Stem surface: Smooth or finely fibrillose
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid

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