Clouded Funnel

Clitocybe nebularis

Coniferous and mixed forests, scrub, among grasses. Summer (rarely), autumn (more often in the second half).

Fruiting bodies large. Cap 7-12 (20) cm across, matt, fibrous, fleshy, ash-coloured. Gills whitish, later yellowish in colour. Stem 7-12x1-3 cm, whitish, greyish, brownish, firmly attached to the substrate. Flesh white, greyish, with a sharp, unpleasant woody, mealy smell, not bitter. Characteristic features: old caps are coated with a white bloom, as if floured. Grows in groups. Edible, praised by German mycologists. Common. Very similar to Alexander's Funnel, but differs in its ash-coloured fruiting bodies, unpleasant-smelling flesh and longer, firmer stem.