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    Trooping funnel

    Infundibulicybe geotropa (Bull.) Harmaja · Tricholomataceae

    Also: Monk's head

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: medium

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Trooping funnel
    Photo: Albarubescens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The trooping funnel is a large, long-stemmed funnel cap with a typical bump in the centre of the funnel. In autumn it often grows in large fairy rings on chalky soils.

    SeasonJuly to November
    Spore printwhite
    FamilyTricholomataceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 8 to 20 cm wide, cream to leather-brown, funnel-shaped with a distinct bump in the centre.
    2. Underside. The gills are creamy white, crowded and run far down the stem.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is long, sturdy, the colour of the cap, fibrous and thickened at the base. There is no ring and no volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells spicy, slightly of bitter almond or hay.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white, firm in the cap and fibrous in the stem.

    Lookalikes

    Look for the bump in the centre of the cap and the white spore print; the poisonous Livid pinkgill has a pink spore print.

    Habitat & Season

    Damp, chalky soils. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Broadleaved and coniferous woods, woodland edges, woodland meadows.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Mostly September to November.

    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.

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    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.

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    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

    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.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    Fry young caps or use them in mixed dishes. Cook thoroughly.

    Possible. The stem becomes tough and watery with age.

    Frequently asked questions

    Trooping funnel: Is it edible?

    Yes, it is considered an edible mushroom. Cook thoroughly. Look for the bump in the centre of the cap and the white spore print; the poisonous Livid pinkgill has a pink spore print.

    Trooping funnel: When and where does it grow?

    In Central Europe the season runs from July to November. Mostly September to November. Tree partners and habitat: Broadleaved and coniferous woods, woodland edges, woodland meadows. Soil: Damp, chalky soils. Altitude: From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.

    Trooping funnel: What are the look-alikes?

    The most important one to rule out is Livid pinkgill (Entoloma sinuatum, poisonous): It has no funnel with a bump, notched, yellowish to pink gills and a pink spore print. Other look-alikes: Giant funnel, Frosty funnel.

    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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