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    Sulphur knight

    Tricholoma sulphureum (Bull.) P.Kumm. · Tricholomataceae

    Also: Stinker, Gas agaric

    ☠ Poisonous

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Sulphur knight
    Photo: Andreas Kunze · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The sulphur knight is a knight that is sulphur yellow throughout, with a strong smell of coal gas. It is mildly poisonous and bitter.

    SeasonAugust to December
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyTricholomataceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, sulphur yellow to brownish yellow, and dry.
    2. Underside. The gills are sulphur yellow, widely spaced and thick.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is sulphur yellow and fibrous. There is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells strongly of coal gas.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is sulphur yellow.

    Lookalikes

    Mildly poisonous and smells strongly of coal gas.

    Habitat & Season

    Calcareous soils. From lowland to mountain regions.

    Host trees

    Oak, beech, also pine, spruce, fir.

    Season

    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.

    All mushroom regions →

    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Poisonous mushroom: do not eat it. If you suspect someone has eaten it, call the poison emergency number immediately.

    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.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    Salzburg: collecting poisonous mushrooms is prohibited.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    Poisoning

    ToxinNot known in detail.
    SyndromeGastrointestinal syndrome.
    SymptomsSweating, stomach pain, diarrhoea.
    OnsetA few hours.
    What to do now: Call the poison centre immediately (NHS 111, England) and, in case of severe symptoms, the emergency number 999 / 112. Do not induce vomiting and do not give milk or salt water. Keep leftover mushrooms, trimmings and vomit for identification, and tell everyone who ate with you, because they should also be examined.

    Frequently asked questions

    Sulphur knight: is it edible?

    No, it is poisonous. Mildly poisonous and smells strongly of coal gas. If you suspect poisoning, call the poison centre immediately (numbers for your country below).

    Sulphur knight: when and where does it grow?

    The season in central Europe runs from August to December. Tree partner and habitat: Oak, beech, also pine, spruce, fir. Soil: Calcareous soils. Altitude: From lowland to mountain regions.

    Sulphur knight: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Man on horseback (Tricholoma equestre, poisonous): It has a greenish, sticky cap and smells of meal. Other lookalikes: golden chanterelle.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

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

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