Winter chanterelle Craterellus tubaeformis
edible
It smells pleasantly spicy and tastes mild, and its spore print is white to cream. Lichenomphalia species, by contrast, have true, thin gills instead of ridges.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
Lichenomphalia species are tiny, navel-like mushrooms that grow on green moss or lichens. They are inedible and easily mistaken for edible chanterelles if you go by colour alone.
Seasonall year round
Spore printwhite
FamilyHygrophoraceae
- Cap. The cap is 0.5 to 2 cm wide, yellow to olive-green, flat with a deep navel.
- Underside. The gills are pale, forked and run down the stem.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is thin and the same colour as the cap; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. They have no striking smell and are too small for the kitchen.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is thin and pale.
Lookalikes
They are very small and inedible because of their size and the small amount of flesh.
Yellow foot Craterellus lutescens
edible
It has an almost smooth, orange to pink underside without distinct ridges and smells strongly of mirabelle plums.
View on the mapAshen chanterelle Craterellus cinereus
edible
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It is entirely grey to blackish, including the stem, and has distinct ridges.
View on the mapSide by side
| Lichenomphalia | Winter chanterelle | Yellow foot | Ashen chanterelle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 0.5 to 2 cm wide | 1 to 5 cm, brown to grey-brown, funnel-shaped | 2 to 6 cm, funnel-shaped, yellow-brown to brown | 1 to 4 cm, funnel-shaped, grey to blackish brown |
| Underside | gills pale, forked, running down the stem | ridges grey to yellowish grey, forked | almost smooth to faintly wrinkled, orange-yellow to pink | ridges grey to blackish, forked |
| Stem | thin, same colour as the cap | yellow to orange-yellow, hollow | hollow, bright orange-yellow | grey to blackish, hollow |
| Flesh | thin and pale | thin, elastic | thin, soft | thin, elastic, grey |
| Edibility | Inedible | edible | edible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Damp conifer woods, sphagnum moss, heathland. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Moss and lichens on acidic soils.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Often in damp cushions of moss.
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. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them 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
Too small and of no culinary value.
Leave moss cushions undisturbed.
Frequently asked questions
Are Lichenomphalia species edible?
No, Lichenomphalia species are not edible. They are very small and have hardly any flesh.
When and where do Lichenomphalia species grow?
Lichenomphalia species can be found all year round, often in damp cushions of moss. They grow on moss and lichens on acidic soils, in damp conifer woods, on sphagnum moss and on heathland.
Which look-alikes can Lichenomphalia species be confused with?
You can confuse them with the winter chanterelle, the yellow foot and Craterellus cinereus. The winter chanterelle smells pleasantly spicy, tastes mild and has a white to cream spore print, whereas Lichenomphalia species have true, thin gills instead of ridges. The yellow foot has an almost smooth, orange to pink underside without distinct ridges and smells strongly of mirabelle plums. Craterellus cinereus is entirely grey to blackish, including the stem, and has distinct ridges.
How do you recognise Lichenomphalia species?
The spore print is white. The cap is 0.5 to 2 cm wide, yellow to olive-green, flat with a deep navel.
Related species
- Club-foot Ampulloclitocybe clavipes
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: James Lindsey · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Winter chanterelle: Photo: Andreas Kunze · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Yellow foot: Photo: Andreas Kunze · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Ashen chanterelle: Photo: Dave W (Dave W), Mushroom Observer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.