ToxicInocybaceae
Inocybe geophylla
White fibrecap
Small silky fibrecap loaded with muscarine, common on woodland paths.
- Cap
- Conical to umbonate, 1-3.5 cm, white to lilac, silky and radially fibrous.
- Gills
- Adnexed, whitish then clay brown.
- Stem
- 20-50 mm, slender, white, fibrous.
- Flesh
- White.
- Spore print
- Dull brown
- Habitat
- Woodland paths, verges and mossy ground under broadleaf and conifer trees.
- Distribution
- Europe, North America, Asia.
- Season
- Summer to autumn.
- Bruising
- None.
- Odour
- Strongly earthy or spermatic.
Key features
- ▪Silky radially fibrous cap
- ▪Strong earthy odour
- ▪Dull brown spore print
Field tests
- Spore print is dull brown, never purple-black
Edibility
Toxic. Severe muscarine poisoning with sweating, salivation and collapse.
Warning
Some Inocybe are lethal. Never gather small fibrous-capped mushrooms.
Lookalikes
Small white Psilocybe or Marasmiustoxic
The strong earthy or spermatic smell and silky radially fibrous cap identify Inocybe.
Photo and feature-based identification is probabilistic. Never consume a wild mushroom on the basis of an app result — confirm with an experienced mycologist.