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.
Candy cap vs deadly galerina: small brown mushrooms, one with watery latex
Quick answer
A candy cap's broken gills and cap edge release thin, watery latex like skim milk; it has no ring and drops a whitish to cream or pale yellow spore print. The deadly galerina gives no latex, usually has a ring or ring zone, and drops a rusty brown print. The maple-syrup smell of candy caps is strongest once they dry, so fresh specimens may smell faint.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina can be fatal.
Unlike the candy 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
Lactarius rubidus
Photo coming
Edible
The tellSmall orange-brown milk cap with thin, watery latex that smells strongly of maple syrup once dried.
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 | Candy Cap | Deadly Galerina |
|---|---|---|
| Latex when cut | Candy CapThin, watery latex that does not change color. | Deadly GalerinaNone. |
| Ring | Candy CapNone. | Deadly GalerinaA thin ring or ring zone near the top. |
| Spore print | Candy CapWhitish to cream or pale yellow. | Deadly GalerinaRusty brown. |
| Smell | Candy CapFaint when fresh; strongly of maple syrup when dried. | Deadly GalerinaMild to mealy. |
| Gills | Candy CapPale orange to pinkish buff, attached to slightly running down the stem. | Deadly GalerinaYellowish, then rusty brown. |
| Where it grows | Candy CapSoil, needle litter and well-rotted debris under oaks, tanoaks and conifers on the Pacific Coast. | Deadly GalerinaRotting logs and stumps across North America, sometimes in wood chips or moss over buried wood. |
FAQ
Common questions
What does a candy cap look like?
A small orange-brown milk cap with a dry cap 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches across, a brittle hollow stem and thin, watery latex. Dried specimens smell strongly of maple syrup.
Why is the deadly galerina a candy cap lookalike?
Both are small brown mushrooms of woody debris. The galerina contains amatoxins and has no latex, a ring or ring zone, and a rusty brown spore print.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Lactarius rubidus
MushroomExpert.com
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Amatoxin: The Deadliest of All Mushroom Poisonings
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the candy 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.
Brick cap vs deadly galerina
- Deadly Galerina
Brick caps print purple-brown and have brick-red caps; the deadly galerina prints rusty brown and is smaller and honey-brown. Both cluster on wood.
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