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 wine cap: two mushrooms of wood-chip mulch
Quick answer
The wine cap has a thick ring, grooved on top and split into claw-like segments underneath, and drops a dark purple-brown to purple-black spore print; the deadly galerina has only a thin ring and drops a rusty brown print. The wine cap is also far larger, with a wine-red cap that fades to tan.
Deadly lookalike
The deadly galerina can be fatal.
Unlike the wine 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
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 tellA wine-red cap over purple-gray gills, with a thick ring whose underside is split into claw-like segments.
How they differ
| Feature | Deadly Galerina | Wine Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Spore print | Deadly GalerinaRusty brown. | Wine CapDark purple-brown to purple-black. |
| Ring | Deadly GalerinaThin ring or ring zone. | Wine CapThick, grooved on top and split underneath into claw-like segments. |
| Size | Deadly GalerinaCap 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1 to 4 cm). | Wine CapCap 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm), sometimes far larger. |
| Cap color | Deadly GalerinaHoney-brown to tawny. | Wine CapWine red to reddish brown when young, fading to tan or buff. |
| Gills | Deadly GalerinaYellowish at first, then rusty brown. | Wine CapWhitish, then gray, then purple-gray to purple-black. |
| Stem | Deadly GalerinaThin and brownish. | Wine CapThick and white, often with white root-like strands at the base. |
FAQ
Common questions
Can deadly galerina grow in wood-chip mulch?
Yes. The University of British Columbia's Mushrooms Up! guide notes that galerinas and psilocybin mushrooms can both grow on wood chips, the same mulch where wine caps are grown.
What color is the wine cap's spore print?
Dark purple-brown to purple-black. A rusty brown print rules out the wine cap.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Galerina marginata
MushroomExpert.com
- Stropharia rugosoannulata
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 deadly galerina
- More on the wine cap
- 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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