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 sulphur tuft: two poisonous clusters on wood
Quick answer
Sulphur tuft has sulfur-yellow to greenish-yellow caps and greenish-yellow gills that darken to purple-brown, and drops a purple-brown print; the deadly galerina is honey-brown with yellowish to rusty brown gills that never show green, and drops a rusty brown print. Both are poisonous.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina can be fatal.
Unlike sulphur tuft, 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. Sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) is poisonous. The Mushrooms Up! guide records symptoms 5 to 10 hours after eating, with severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and notes that its intensely bitter taste discourages most people.
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.
Toxic lookalike
The tellDense clusters of sulfur-yellow caps on dead wood, with greenish-yellow gills that darken to purple-brown.
How they differ
| Feature | Deadly Galerina | Sulphur Tuft |
|---|---|---|
| Cap color | Deadly GalerinaHoney-brown to tawny, fading to tan. | Sulphur TuftSulfur yellow to greenish yellow, often orange-brown at the center. |
| Gills | Deadly GalerinaYellowish, then rusty brown; no green tint. | Sulphur TuftSulfur to greenish yellow, then olive, then purple-brown. |
| Spore print | Deadly GalerinaRusty brown. | Sulphur TuftPurple-brown to dark purple-black. |
| Ring | Deadly GalerinaA thin membranous ring or ring zone. | Sulphur TuftA faint ring zone that turns purple-brown from falling spores. |
| Flesh | Deadly GalerinaThin and brownish. | Sulphur TuftYellow; taste recorded as intensely bitter. |
| Cluster | Deadly GalerinaSmall clusters or groups. | Sulphur TuftDense clusters of many joined stems. |
FAQ
Common questions
Is sulphur tuft poisonous?
Yes. It causes severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea about 5 to 10 hours after eating, according to the University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide.
Does sulphur tuft have green gills?
Yes, when young: sulphur tuft gills are sulfur to greenish yellow, then olive, then purple-brown as the spores mature. The deadly galerina's gills are yellowish, then rusty brown, with no green tint.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Hypholoma fasciculare
MushroomExpert.com
- Hypholoma fasciculare, sulphur tuft (Mushrooms Up!)
Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia
- Galerina marginata, deadly galerina (Mushrooms Up!)
Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the deadly galerina
- More on the sulphur tuft
- 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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