FungiFindFungiFind
Search species

    FungiFind › Mushroom species

    Other brown knights

    Tricholoma spec. (Fr.) Staude · Tricholomataceae

    Inedible

    Where is it growing now? Open the map Mushroom alert for this species How the mushroom alert works

    Identification in 5 steps

    Other brown knights
    Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Brown knights grow on the ground and have white gills. In most species a firm ring is absent. Many are hot-tasting, poisonous or inedible, so do not collect them for the kitchen. Examine them only if you know the species with certainty.

    SeasonAugust to November
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyTricholomataceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 4 to 12 cm wide, brown, often with scales or fibres, variable depending on the species.
    2. Underside. The gills are white, broad and free to attached.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is central, without a ring in most species, and the volva is absent.
    4. Smell and taste. Many smell mealy or unpleasant, and the taste is often hot.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white and breaks pale.

    Lookalikes

    Many brown knights are hot-tasting or poisonous; do not collect them for the kitchen.

    Side by side

    Other brown knightsMan on horsebackScaly knight
    Cap4 to 12 cm wide, brown4 to 10 cm, yellow to yellow-green, olive-brown centre, slimy3 to 8 cm, red-brown, shaggy, bearded cap margin
    Undersidegills white, broad, free to attachedgills sulphur-yellow, crowdedgills cream, later spotting red-brown
    Stemcentral, no ring in most speciesshort, yellowish, no ringbrown, fibrous, hollow
    Fleshwhite, breaks palewhitish to yellowish, firmwhitish to reddish
    EdibilityInediblepoisonousinedible

    Habitat & Season

    Acidic woodland soils, often in moss. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Conifer wood, especially spruce and pine.

    Season

    possible good main season

    In coniferous woods.

    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. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them for the kitchen.

    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.

    Why it is not edible

    Many species are inedible or poisonous.

    Not for the kitchen. Look at them only to identify them.

    Frequently asked questions

    Are other brown knights edible?

    No, other brown knights are not edible. Many are hot-tasting or poisonous, so do not collect them for the kitchen.

    When and where do other brown knights grow?

    Brown knights grow from August to November in coniferous woods on acidic, often mossy woodland soils, especially under spruce and pine.

    Which look-alikes can other brown knights be confused with?

    You can confuse them with the scaly knight and the man on horseback. The scaly knight tastes bitter, has a white spore print and a bearded cap margin, which other brown knights do not have. The man on horseback has a yellow-green cap and sulphur-yellow gills; brown knights have white gills.

    How do you recognise other brown knights?

    The spore print is white. The cap is 4 to 12 cm wide, brown, often with scales or fibres, variable depending on the species.

    Related species

    Open the mushroom map Mushroom trainer: test yourself

    Sources

    Photo credits

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

    Open the mushroom map