Deadly dapperling Lepiota brunneoincarnata
deadly poisonous
It has free gills and a belted stem with pink-brown tones.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The grey knight is a small, mouse-grey knight with a felty cap that grows in groups under pines on limestone. It was once considered an edible mushroom, but its edibility is now disputed.
SeasonJuly to November
Spore printwhite
FamilyTricholomataceae
- Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, mouse grey to dark grey, felty to finely scaly, and often humped.
- Underside. The gills are whitish grey and notched.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is white to grey and fibrous; when young, it has a fleeting cortina. There is no volva.
- Smell and taste. It hardly smells and is not mealy. Do not taste grey knights.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white to grey and thin.
Lookalikes
Its edibility is disputed; high-dose extracts caused rhabdomyolysis in mice. Risk of confusion with the spotted tricholoma.
Spotted tricholoma Tricholoma pardinum
poisonous
It is larger, has roof-tile-like scales and smells of meal.
View on the mapYellowing knight Tricholoma scalpturatum
edible with restrictions
It smells of meal and turns yellow.
View on the mapHabitat & Season
Calcareous soils. From lowland to mountain regions.
Host trees
Pine, also spruce.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
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Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Mostly in late autumn until the first night frosts, sometimes until January.
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. For experienced foragers only: follow the restrictions, and if in doubt, do not eat it.
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.
No species-specific rule known.
Red List Germany: Data deficient
In the kitchen
We advise against eating it because of the unresolved health question. Cook thoroughly.
Not recommended. Edibility disputed (rhabdomyolysis in mice after high-dose extracts).
- Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
- Use only young, fresh, maggot-free and reliably identified specimens.
- Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and prepare them the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Grey knight: is it edible?
Only with restrictions. Its edibility is disputed; high-dose extracts caused rhabdomyolysis in mice. Risk of confusion with the spotted tricholoma. Cook thoroughly.
Grey knight: when and where does it grow?
The season in central Europe runs from July to November. Mostly in late autumn until the first night frosts, sometimes until January. Tree partner and habitat: Pine, also spruce. Soil: Calcareous soils. Altitude: From lowland to mountain regions.
Grey knight: what are the lookalikes?
The most important distinction is from Deadly dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata, deadly poisonous): It has free gills and a belted stem with pink-brown tones. Other lookalikes: spotted tricholoma, yellowing knight.
Related species
- Dark-scaled knight Tricholoma atrosquamosum
- Yellowing knight Tricholoma scalpturatum
- Scaly knight Tricholoma vaccinum
- Tawny funnel cap Paralepista flaccida
- Blue green anise mushroom Clitocybe odora
- Sordid blewit Lepista sordida
Sources
- Gemeiner Erd-Ritterling (Wikipedia DE)
- GBIF: Tricholoma terreum (Schaeff.) P.Kumm.
- Rote-Liste-Zentrum: Großpilze Deutschlands (Dämmrich et al. 2016)
- ÖMG: Pilzschutzbestimmungen in Österreich (Stand 29.01.2021)
- RIS: Forstgesetz 1975 § 174
- DGfM: Giftpilze und Pilzvergiftungen
- DGfM: Giftnotrufe in Deutschland, Europa und der Schweiz
- Gesundheitsportal Österreich: Vergiftung durch Pilze, VIZ 01 406 43 43
- Tiger-Ritterling (Wikipedia DE)
Photo credits
- Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Deadly dapperling: Photo: User:Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted tricholoma: Photo: Ryane Snow · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Yellowing knight: Photo: User:Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.