Death cap Amanita phalloides
deadly poisonous
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Unlike the geranium brittlegill, it has a ring and a sac-like volva; this also applies to yellowish forms.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The geranium brittlegill is a yellowish-green brittlegill with a very bitter, hot taste and a striking smell of pelargoniums (geraniums). It is inedible.
SeasonJune to October
Spore printwhite
FamilyRussulaceae
- Cap. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, yellowish green to olive, dull and dry.
- Underside. The gills are broad and cream-yellow.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is whitish; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It smells distinctly of pelargoniums (geraniums) and tastes very bitter and hot.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and breaks pale.
Lookalikes
It is very bitter and hot, inedible, and smells of pelargoniums.
Ochre brittlegill Russula ochroleuca
edible with restrictions
It tastes almost mild to hot, and its spore print is white. The geranium brittlegill, by contrast, is uniformly ochre-coloured, including the gills and stem, smells of pelargoniums and tastes very bitter and hot.
View on the mapSide by side
| Geranium brittlegill | Death cap | Ochre brittlegill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 4 to 10 cm wide, yellowish green to olive | 5 to 15 cm, olive-green, bell-shaped when young | 4 to 10 cm, lemon-yellow to ochre-yellow |
| Underside | gills broad, cream-yellow | gills white, free, crowded | gills white, later cream-white |
| Stem | whitish, no ring or volva | whitish, snakeskin-patterned, hanging ring, bulb with sac-like volva | white, turning grey with age |
| Flesh | white, breaks pale | white, does not change colour | white, turning grey |
| Edibility | Inedible | deadly poisonous | edible with restrictions |
Habitat & Season
Chalky deciduous woods. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Beech, oak, hornbeam.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Under beech and oak.
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.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
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.
Why it is not edible
Very hot, inedible.
The smell is a reliable warning sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is the geranium brittlegill edible?
No, the geranium brittlegill is not edible. It is very bitter and hot and smells of pelargoniums.
When and where does the geranium brittlegill grow?
The geranium brittlegill grows from June to October on chalky soils in deciduous woods under beech, oak and hornbeam.
Which look-alikes can the geranium brittlegill be confused with?
You can confuse it with the ochre brittlegill and the death cap. The ochre brittlegill tastes almost mild to hot and has a white spore print, whereas the geranium brittlegill is uniformly ochre-coloured, including the gills and stem, smells of pelargoniums and tastes very bitter and hot. Unlike the geranium brittlegill, the death cap has a ring and a sac-like volva; this also applies to yellowish forms.
How do you recognise the geranium brittlegill?
The spore print is white. The cap is 4 to 10 cm wide, yellowish green to olive, dull and dry.
Related species
- Variable brittlegill Russula versicolor
- Crowded russula Russula densifolia
- Russula solaris Russula solaris
- Charcoal burner Russula cyanoxantha
- Bare-toothed Russula Russula vesca
- The sickener Russula emetica
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: James Lindsey · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Death cap: Photo: Justin Pierce (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Ochre brittlegill: Photo: Algirdas · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.