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.
Deadly galerina vs deadly webcap: two rusty-spored mushrooms, two different killers
Quick answer
The deadly galerina grows on rotting wood, often in clusters, with a thin membranous ring; the deadly webcap grows from soil and moss under conifers, with a cobweb-like veil (cortina) on young caps and yellowish bands of veil on the stem but no true ring. Both are deadly and drop a rusty brown spore print, but they carry different toxins: amatoxins in the galerina, orellanine in the webcap.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina and the deadly webcap can be fatal.
Unlike the deadly webcap, 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. The deadly webcap (Cortinarius rubellus) contains orellanine, which destroys the kidneys. First Nature records that the first symptoms are usually delayed by two or three days, then flu-like symptoms, headache and vomiting, followed by kidney failure. In an Estonian series of seven orellanine poisonings, first symptoms could appear up to three weeks after the meal; six patients needed dialysis, and ten months later three were still on it.
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
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.
Cortinarius rubellus
Photo coming
Deadly
The tellOrange-brown, pointed cap, rusty brown gills, and yellowish bands of veil on the stem, in mossy conifer woods.
How they differ
| Feature | Deadly Galerina | Deadly Webcap |
|---|---|---|
| What it grows on | Deadly GalerinaRotting logs and stumps, sometimes wood chips. | Deadly WebcapSoil and moss in wet conifer forests, mycorrhizal with spruce and pine. |
| Growth | Deadly GalerinaOften in clusters. | Deadly WebcapSingle or in small groups. |
| Veil and ring | Deadly GalerinaA thin membranous ring or ring zone. | Deadly WebcapA cobweb-like veil on young caps; yellowish bands on the stem, no true ring. |
| Cap shape | Deadly GalerinaConvex, then flat or with a low central bump. | Deadly WebcapConical to bell-shaped, keeping a pointed central bump. |
| Cap surface | Deadly GalerinaSmooth, slightly sticky when moist. | Deadly WebcapDry, with fine fibers or tiny scales. |
| Toxin | Deadly GalerinaAmatoxins, which destroy the liver. | Deadly WebcapOrellanine, which destroys the kidneys. |
| Delay before symptoms | Deadly GalerinaUsually 6 to 24 hours. | Deadly WebcapUsually two or three days, and up to three weeks. |
FAQ
Common questions
Which is more dangerous, the deadly galerina or the deadly webcap?
Both can kill. The galerina's amatoxins attack the liver within days; the webcap's orellanine destroys the kidneys after a delay of days to weeks, and survivors may need long-term dialysis.
Do the deadly galerina and the deadly webcap grow together?
They can share northern conifer forests, but the galerina grows on rotting wood and the webcap from soil and moss.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Cortinarius rubellus, Deadly Webcap
First Nature
- Renal impairment caused by orellanine poisoning: case reports and a literature review
Eesti Arst (Estonian Medical Journal)
- Amatoxin: The Deadliest of All Mushroom Poisonings
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the deadly galerina
- More on the deadly webcap
- 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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