Clitocybe quisquiliarum
poisonousIt is strongly poisonous and has a white spore print; its gills stay white instead of turning pink. The most reliable distinguishing feature is a spore print on dark paper: in the miller it is pink.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The miller is a productive edible mushroom with a white, velvety-matt cap, decurrent soft gills and pink spores. It smells and tastes typically of flour or cucumber. Because it can be mistaken for poisonous white funnel caps, pay attention to spore colour and smell.
SeasonJune to November
Spore printpink to pink brown
FamilyEntolomataceae
- Cap. The cap is 3 to 9 cm, rarely up to 12 cm wide, thick-fleshed, at first hemispherical, later flat to depressed with a wavy, rolled-in margin and often a broad bump. The surface is white to pale grey-beige or yellowish cream, dry, velvety-matt and finely bloomed, sticky or slimy when wet.
- Underside. The narrow, crowded and strikingly soft gills run down the stem in an arc. They are white when young and turn pink as the spores ripen.
- Stem, ring and volva. The stem is 2 to 6 cm long, 5 to 15 mm thick, solid, covered in whitish fibres and often attached off-centre to the cap. There is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. It smells and tastes typically of flour or cucumber.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is relatively soft. The gills can be crushed like wax.
Lookalikes
It has a pink spore print and smells mealy. White funnel caps that resemble it are poisonous and have a white spore print. The spore colour is therefore the deciding feature.
Fool's funnel Clitocybe rivulosa
poisonous
It is poisonous, its spore print is white and the gills do not turn pink. The most reliable distinguishing feature is the white spore print.
View on the mapSide by side
| The miller | Clitocybe quisquiliarum | Fool's funnel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | white to pale grey-beige, 3 to 9 cm, velvety-matt | whitish to pale, small to medium-sized, depressed | whitish to grey, bloomed, often zoned |
| Underside | soft, decurrent gills, white, later pink | decurrent gills that stay white | decurrent gills that stay white |
| Stem | short, solid, often off-centre | slender, whitish | slender, whitish |
| Flesh | soft, gills waxy | thin-fleshed | thin-fleshed |
| Edibility | Edible | poisonous | poisonous |
Habitat & Season
Forest soils and verges, singly or in small groups. No reliable information.
Host trees
Grows on the ground, not tied to wood.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Rough estimate; the fruiting time depends on the weather.
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. Only eat mushrooms you have identified beyond doubt, and always cook them thoroughly.
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.
In the kitchen
Fried or in sauces, best when young. It has a strong mealy taste of its own that not everyone likes. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
No reliable information on drying. Risk of confusion with strongly poisonous white funnel caps, so check the spore print.
- Never eat wild mushrooms raw, and always cook them for at least 15 minutes.
- Use only young, fresh, maggot-free mushrooms that you have identified with certainty.
- Carry mushrooms in an airy basket, not in plastic bags, and process them on the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the miller edible?
Yes, it is a productive edible mushroom. It must be cooked thoroughly and identified with certainty.
How do you recognise the miller?
By the white, velvety-matt cap, the soft decurrent gills that turn pink at maturity, the pink spore print and the smell of flour or cucumber.
What can the miller be mistaken for?
For poisonous white funnel caps such as Clitocybe quisquiliarum and the fool's funnel. These have a white spore print, the miller a pink one.
Can the miller be told safely from its sister species?
No. Very similar species such as Clitopilus abprunulus or Clitopilus chrischonensis can only be separated safely under the microscope. If you collect the miller in the broad sense, you recognise it by pink spores, soft gills and a strong mealy smell.
Related species
- Cep Boletus edulis
- Golden chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius
- Parasol mushroom Macrolepiota procera
- Bay bolete Imleria badia
- Field mushroom Agaricus campestris
- Lawyers' wig Coprinus comatus
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mehl-Räsling
- GBIF: Clitopilus prunulus (Scop.) P.Kumm.
- Index Fungorum: Namensabfrage Clitopilus prunulus
Photo credits
- Photo: Ron Pastorino (Ronpast), Mushroom Observer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Fool's funnel: Photo: 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.