Deadly galerina vs honey mushroom
- Deadly Galerina
Spore prints differ: honey mushrooms print white, the deadly galerina prints rusty brown. Galerina is also smaller, with a smooth brown cap.
Brick cap vs deadly galerina: the spore print that separates them
Quick answer
Brick caps drop a purple-brown spore print and deadly galerinas a rusty brown one. The brick cap's gills go from whitish to purple-gray, the galerina's from yellowish to rusty brown. The caps differ in color too: brick red at the center with a paler edge on the brick cap, plain honey-brown on the smaller galerina.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina can be fatal.
Unlike the brick cap, the deadly galerina (Galerina marginata) contains amatoxins, the same toxins as the death cap, at similar concentrations, according to the University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide. Amatoxins stop cells from making proteins by blocking the enzyme RNA polymerase II. The Bay Area Mycological Society records that symptoms usually begin 6 to 24 hours after eating, followed by an apparent recovery and then liver damage from about 72 hours. Cooking does not destroy amatoxins.
If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.
Side by side
The tell for each
Edible
The tellClusters of brick-red caps with a paler edge on hardwood stumps late in the fall, with grayish gills and a purple-brown spore print.
Deadly
The tellSmall honey-brown caps in clusters on rotting wood, with rusty brown gills, a thin ring on the stem, and a rusty brown spore print.
How they differ
| Feature | Brick Cap | Deadly Galerina |
|---|---|---|
| Spore print | Brick CapPurple-brown. | Deadly GalerinaRusty brown. |
| Gills | Brick CapWhitish to grayish yellow, then purple-gray to purple-brown. | Deadly GalerinaYellowish, then rusty brown. |
| Cap color | Brick CapBrick red at the center, fading to buff or yellowish at the edge. | Deadly GalerinaHoney-brown to tawny, fading to tan as it dries. |
| Cap size | Brick Cap1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 cm). | Deadly Galerina0.5 to 1.5 inches (1 to 4 cm). |
| Ring | Brick CapA faint ring zone from the veil that may darken with spores. | Deadly GalerinaA thin membranous ring or ring zone near the top. |
| Wood | Brick CapHardwood stumps and logs, especially oak. | Deadly GalerinaRotting conifer and hardwood. |
FAQ
Common questions
Does the brick cap have a lookalike?
Two that matter: the deadly galerina, which prints rusty brown instead of purple-brown, and the sulphur tuft, which shares the purple-brown print but has sulfur-yellow caps and greenish-yellow gills.
When does the brick cap fruit?
Late summer through late fall, often after the first frost, in clusters on hardwood stumps. The deadly galerina also fruits on wood in fall.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Hypholoma sublateritium (brick cap)
MushroomExpert.com
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Galerina marginata, deadly galerina (Mushrooms Up!)
Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia
- Amatoxin: The Deadliest of All Mushroom Poisonings
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the brick cap
- More on the deadly galerina
- Not sure it is either? Narrow it down with the identification key
This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.
More comparisons
Big laughing gym vs deadly galerina
- Toxic: Big Laughing Gym
- Deadly Galerina
Both are rusty-spored clusters on wood. The big laughing gym is large and orange-yellow; the deadly galerina is small and honey-brown, with amatoxins.
Lactarius rubidus
Photo coming
Candy cap vs deadly galerina
- Deadly Galerina
A candy cap oozes thin, watery latex when cut and prints whitish to cream. The deadly galerina has no latex, usually a ring, and a rusty brown print.
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