Whitish funnel caps Clitocybe spp.
poisonousThey are mostly much smaller, and several species are poisonous. The strongest distinguishing feature is size: a cap of 25 cm or more points to the giant funnel. If in doubt, do not eat it.
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Identification in 5 steps
The giant funnel is a strikingly large, whitish to cream funnel cap whose cap can grow up to 60 cm wide. It often forms large fairy rings. It is considered edible when young, but not everyone can tolerate it.
SeasonAugust to November
Spore printwhite
FamilyTricholomataceae
- Cap. The cap is 25 to 60 cm, rarely up to 70 cm wide and funnel-shaped. It is first white, then pale yellow-cream to pale buff, and spotted ochre to reddish brown with age. The margin is rolled in and velvety when young, later furrowed and cracked.
- Underside. The crowded, narrow gills run far down the stem, are partly forked, cream and separate easily from the cap.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is short and thick at 5 to 10 cm, at first fibrous whitish, later bent and lobed. There is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It smells very faintly and pleasantly mealy and tastes almost aromatic.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is stringy, firm at first, later white-fibrous and soft. Pressure marks on the cap slowly turn reddish brown.
Lookalikes
It is a very large, whitish funnel cap with white spore print and can be mistaken for smaller, partly poisonous white funnel caps. It is considered edible when young, but is not tolerated by everyone.
Fleecy milk-cap Lactifluus vellereus
inedibleIts stem flesh snaps with a crack like polystyrene or an apple, it is not fibrous, and it carries milk. The distinguishing feature is the brittle, splintering texture with milk. Inedible.
Trooping funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa
edible
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It reaches similar dimensions, but has a perceptible cap bump and a stem that is clearly longer in relation to the cap width. Also edible.
View on the mapSide by side
| Giant funnel | Whitish funnel caps | Fleecy milk-cap | Trooping funnel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | whitish to cream, funnel-shaped, 25 to 60 cm | whitish to pale, mostly under 10 cm | white, felty, funnel-shaped | large, cream to ochre brown, with bump |
| Underside | crowded, far decurrent, cream gills | decurrent, crowded gills | white, slightly decurrent gills, drip milk | decurrent, crowded gills |
| Stem | short, thick, fibrous whitish | slender, mostly fibrous | short, firm, snapping | long, sturdy, fibrous |
| Flesh | stringy, firm when young, later soft | thin-fleshed | brittle, snaps with a crack, milk | fleshy, fibrous |
| Edibility | Edible | poisonous | inedible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Fertile soils with organic remains, for example on pastures and forest clearings, often in large fairy rings. No reliable information.
Host trees
No tree partner; it grows as a litter decomposer.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Rough estimate; the fruiting time depends on the weather.
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.
Chance near you
How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Only eat mushrooms you have identified beyond doubt, and always cook them thoroughly.
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.
Conservation and collecting rules
Not specially protected.
In the kitchen
Use only young fruiting bodies, well cooked. Cut the caps into pieces and fry or stew them. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
No reliable information on drying. Not tolerated by everyone; nausea can occur if not heated enough. Use only young fruiting bodies.
- Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
- Use only young, fresh, maggot-free mushrooms that you have identified with certainty.
- Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and process them on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the giant funnel edible?
It is considered edible when young. But not everyone tolerates it, and it can cause nausea, especially if not heated enough.
How do you recognise the giant funnel?
By the very large, funnel-shaped, whitish to cream cap of 25 to 60 cm, the gills running far down the stem, the short thick stem and the white spore print.
What can it be mistaken for?
For smaller, partly poisonous white funnel caps, for the trooping funnel, which has a cap bump and a longer stem, and for white milk caps such as the fleecy milk-cap.
Where does the giant funnel grow?
It grows as a litter decomposer on fertile soils, for example on pastures or forest clearings, and often forms large fairy rings.
Related species
- Wood blewit Lepista nuda
- Trooping funnel Infundibulicybe geotropa
- Tawny funnel cap Paralepista flaccida
- Blue green anise mushroom Clitocybe odora
- Sordid blewit Lepista sordida
- Dark-scaled knight Tricholoma atrosquamosum
Sources
- Wikipedia: Riesen-Krempentrichterling
- GBIF: Aspropaxillus giganteus (Sowerby) Kühner & Maire
- Index Fungorum: Namensabfrage Aspropaxillus giganteus
Photo credits
- Photo: Liz Popich (Lizzie) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Trooping funnel: Photo: Albarubescens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.