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 velvet foot: cold-weather clusters on wood
Quick answer
Velvet foot has no ring, and its stem is dark brown and velvety from the base up; it drops a white print. The deadly galerina has a thin ring or ring zone on a stem that is not velvety, and drops a rusty brown print. Both fruit on wood in cold weather.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina can be fatal.
Unlike velvet foot, 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
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.
Edible
The tellSticky orange-brown caps on dead hardwood in cold weather, on stems that turn dark brown and velvety from the base up.
How they differ
| Feature | Deadly Galerina | Velvet Foot |
|---|---|---|
| Spore print | Deadly GalerinaRusty brown. | Velvet FootWhite. |
| Stem | Deadly GalerinaThin and brownish with fine whitish fibers; not velvety. | Velvet FootPale yellow at the top, dark brown to blackish and velvety below. |
| Ring | Deadly GalerinaA thin ring or ring zone. | Velvet FootNone. |
| Cap | Deadly GalerinaHoney-brown to tawny, smooth and slightly sticky when moist, fading to tan as it dries. | Velvet FootOrange-brown to reddish brown, paler at the edge, slimy or sticky when wet. |
| Gills | Deadly GalerinaYellowish at first, then rusty brown. | Velvet FootWhite to pale yellow, fairly broad and spaced. |
| Season | Deadly GalerinaMainly fall, also spring and mild spells in winter. | Velvet FootLate fall through winter into early spring, during thaws. |
FAQ
Common questions
How do you tell velvet foot from a galerina?
Velvet foot has no ring, a velvety dark stem base and a white spore print. The Missouri Department of Conservation lists the missing ring and white spores as the differences.
Is enoki the same as velvet foot?
Yes. Cultivated enoki is Flammulina velutipes grown in the dark, which gives long, thin white stems and tiny caps.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Flammulina velutipes
MushroomExpert.com
- Deadly Galerina
Missouri Department of Conservation
- 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 velvet foot
- 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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