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    Club-foot

    Ampulloclitocybe clavipes (Pers.) Redhead, Lutzoni, Moncalvo & Vilgalys · Hygrophoraceae

    Also: Club-footed clitocybe

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Club-foot
    Photo: Paul Derbyshire (Twizzler) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The club-foot is a grey-brown funnel cap with a conspicuously club-shaped, swollen stem base and decurrent, cream-coloured gills. Together with alcohol it can cause poisoning.

    SeasonJuly to November
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyHygrophoraceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, grey-brown, flat to funnel-shaped.
    2. Underside. The gills are creamy yellowish and run far down the stem.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is the colour of the cap, swollen and club-shaped towards the base, and soft. There is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells sweetish and fruity.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is whitish and soft.

    Lookalikes

    Poisonous with alcohol (coprine-like effect); not an edible mushroom.

    Habitat & Season

    Acidic coniferous woods. From lowland to mountain regions.

    Host trees

    Pine, spruce.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the poison emergency number immediately.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: collecting poisonous mushrooms is prohibited.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Poisoning

    ToxinFatty acid derivatives that inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase (coprine-like).
    SyndromeCoprinus syndrome (Antabuse syndrome) when alcohol is consumed.
    SymptomsFacial flushing, feeling of heat, racing heart, nausea and a drop in blood pressure after alcohol.
    OnsetMinutes after drinking alcohol, up to days after the meal.
    What to do now: Call the poison centre immediately (NHS 111, England) and, in case of severe symptoms, the emergency number 999 / 112. Do not induce vomiting and do not give milk or salt water. Keep leftover mushrooms, trimmings and vomit for identification, and tell everyone who ate with you, because they should also be examined.

    Frequently asked questions

    Club-foot: is it edible?

    No, it is poisonous. Poisonous with alcohol (coprine-like effect); not an edible mushroom. If you suspect poisoning, call the poison centre immediately (numbers for your country below).

    Club-foot: when and where does it grow?

    The season in central Europe runs from July to November. Tree partner and habitat: Pine, spruce. Soil: Acidic coniferous woods. Altitude: From lowland to mountain regions.

    Club-foot: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, poisonous): It is larger, greyer and has no club-shaped stem base. Other lookalikes: trooping funnel.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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