Other brown knights Tricholoma spec.
inedible
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They have no bearded cap margin.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The scaly knight is a brown-capped knight with spreading woolly scales and a bearded cap margin. It grows in groups under spruce and tastes bitter.
SeasonAugust to November
Spore printwhite
FamilyTricholomataceae
- Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, red-brown, with spreading woolly scales and a shaggy, bearded margin.
- Underside. The gills are cream-coloured, later spotted red-brown.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is brown, fibrous and hollow. There is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It tastes bitter.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is whitish to reddish.
Lookalikes
Bitter, unsuitable for the kitchen.
Habitat & Season
No special requirements, likes limestone. From lowland to mountain regions.
Host trees
Spruce.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
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.
Conservation and collecting rules
Not specially protected.
Salzburg: collecting inedible mushrooms is prohibited.
Red List Germany: Least concern
Why it is not edible
Bitter.
Do not collect it for eating.
Frequently asked questions
Scaly knight: is it edible?
No, it is considered inedible. Bitter, unsuitable for the kitchen.
Scaly knight: when and where does it grow?
The season in central Europe runs from August to November. Tree partner and habitat: Spruce. Soil: No special requirements, likes limestone. Altitude: From lowland to mountain regions.
Scaly knight: what are the lookalikes?
The most important distinction is from Other brown knights (Tricholoma spp., inedible): They have no bearded cap margin.
Related species
- Spotted tricholoma Tricholoma pardinum
- Man on horseback Tricholoma equestre
- Sulphur knight Tricholoma sulphureum
- Soap-scented toadstool Tricholoma saponaceum
- Dark-scaled knight Tricholoma atrosquamosum
- Grey knight Tricholoma terreum
Sources
- Bärtiger Ritterling (Wikipedia DE)
- GBIF: Tricholoma vaccinum (Schaeff.) P.Kumm.
- Index Fungorum Record 231716
- Rote-Liste-Zentrum: Großpilze Deutschlands (Dämmrich et al. 2016)
- ÖMG: Pilzschutzbestimmungen in Österreich (Stand 29.01.2021)
- RIS: Forstgesetz 1975 § 174
- DGfM: Giftnotrufe in Deutschland, Europa und der Schweiz
- Gesundheitsportal Österreich: Vergiftung durch Pilze, VIZ 01 406 43 43
Photo credits
- Photo: Dragonòt · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Other brown knights: Photo: Strobilomyces · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.