Community find

Clouded Funnel

Clitocybe nebularis

Group

Gilled mushroom

Season

Late summer to late autumn.

Habitat

Terrestrial, often found in large groups or rings in deciduous and coniferous forests, often growing on rich soil, leaf humus, or rotting wood debris.

Key characteristics

Cap: 5-15 cm, often larger, convex to flattened, bell-shaped when young becoming funnel-shaped with age, wavy margin. Color: grayish to brownish-gray, often with a paler margin. Surface: smooth, dry to slightly moist. Gills: Creamy white to yellowish-white, crowded, decurrent. Stem: 5-15 cm long, 1-3 cm thick, club-shaped or cylindrical, often swollen at the base, whitish to grayish, fibrous. Spore print: Whitish to creamy.

Look-alikes

Some species of Lepista (e.g., Lepista nuda) can have a somewhat similar cap shape but differ in gill color and spore print. Leucopaxillus giganteus is much larger and whiter. Careful identification is needed due to potential look-alikes.

Ecological role

Saprotrophic, playing a crucial role in breaking down organic matter, particularly leaf litter and forest debris, cycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.