A pale, buff to tan, slimy-capped mushroom with a radish smell that often grows in arcs or fairy rings at woodland edges. Its crowded gills bead with droplets when young and moist and later show brown spots. It causes gastrointestinal poisoning, and in North America the name covers several similar species.
Poisonous. Causes mild to severe gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhoea, colicky abdominal pain) beginning several hours after eating; the toxin has not been identified.
Help build this page
This page grows with the community. Here is what it is still missing:
Photos. None yet — moderators review each photo before it appears.Sign in to add a photo
Sightings. Spotted it in the wild? Add it to the map.Open the map
Strains. No public strains of this species on WeMush yet.
Track Your Own Poison Pie Grows
Join WeMush to log cultivation data, discover strains, and connect with fellow growers.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal with hardwoods or conifers; gregarious or in loose clusters, arcs or fairy rings in grass at woodland edges, open woods and heath. Fruits late summer and fall, and in winter and spring in California.
Distribution
Widely distributed in North America (both coasts) and most of Europe; less frequent in Victoria, Australia. Arora calls it by far the most common Hebeloma in California. North American 'crustuliniforme' probably includes several unstudied species.
Characteristics
Cap: 3-11 cm, convex to flat, sometimes umbonate, slimy when fresh, smooth, whitish to buff or pale tan, darker at the centre; margin inrolled when young. Gills: attached, often notched, crowded, pale becoming brownish with whitish edges; droplets when fresh, leaving brown spots. Stem: 4-13 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm thick, slightly swollen at the base, with small flakes near the apex, no ring or cortina. Flesh: thick, white. Odor: radish-like. Taste: radish-like or bitter. Spore print: brown. Spores: 9-13 x 5-7.5 um, almond- to lemon-shaped, finely warty, not dextrinoid.
