From the summer months they sprout en masse from the ground: mushrooms. The white fungus can usually be easily identified based on numerous characteristics. The following list includes the most common specimens.
Table of Contents
White mushrooms from A to G
Field umbrella fungus (Macrolepiota excoriata)
- Genus: Giant Parakeets (Macrolepiota)
- Odor: fungus
- Taste: cooked mild aroma, nutty
- Mushroom cap size: between three and eleven centimeters, rarely 14 centimeters
- Hat color: whitish, gray-white to creamy
- Hat shape: hemispherical
- Mushroom flesh: white, creamy to pinkish-brownish stem flesh
- Mushroom stalk: white to white-yellowish, older specimens are slightly brown and hollow, bulbous base, finely flaky without irregular markings
- White slats
- Occurrence: Forest edges, parks, fields, pastures between early summer and autumn
- Edible – non-toxic
- Dangerous confusion with the poisonous Greenspore Parasol (Chlorophyllum) and Poisonous Giant Parasol Mushroom (Chlorophyllum venenatum, syn. Macrolepiota venenata)
Ästiger Stachelbart (Hericium coralloides)
- Higher classification: quillbeards
- Odor: Pleasant and minimally smelling of radish
- Taste: cooked mild aroma
- Fruit body: diameter of up to 25 centimeters
- Hat color: whitish to “dirty yellow”
- Hat shape: thorn-like branches that also climb up a stalk, older specimens have hanging branches
- Mushroom flesh: white, creamy white, fragile
- Mushroom stalk: stalk whitish
- Occurrence: on deciduous trees, especially beech, deadwood, more rarely on fir trees between late summer and autumn
- Edible – non-toxic – medicinal/vital mushroom
- Risk of confusion with: fir, hedgehog and thorny prickly beard
Cup-shaped Scented Spine (Phellodon)
- Family: White-tailed deer (Bankeraceae)
- Odour: similar to lovage/maggy, slight nuance of cinnamon
- Taste: bitter, inedible
- Mushroom cap: diameter of about six centimeters
- Cap color: white, creamy white when young, later changing to brown or black
- Cap shape: young mushrooms conical, later funnel-shaped, felt-like
- mushroom flesh: brownish
- Mushroom stalk: whitish, later brownish, very fibrous
- White spines, later grey-white
- Occurrence: in coniferous forests, on acidic soil, often in masses from summer to late autumn
- Edible – non-toxic, but inedible
- Risk of confusion with: black and white scented thorn and cinnamon-colored permanent poly
Wallpapering Faserling/Suppenfaserling (Psathyrella candolleana)
- Genus: Psathyrella (Psathyrella)
- Odour: between odorless and slightly fungal
- Taste: mild aroma
- Mushroom cap: About four inches across, covered by a fibrous fringe
- Cap color: whitish, white-brownish, often ocher in the middle
- Hat shape: rounded, later umbrella-like
- Mushroom flesh: whitish, very fragile
- Mushroom stalk: white, whitish with a slight yellow tinge
- Mushroom lamellae: initially white, yellowish-white, later brownish with lilac and gray, grooved discs
- Occurrence: in mixed forests, on lawns/meadows/pastures, on rotting wood between spring and October/November
- Edible – non-toxic – also known as a medicinal/vital mushroom
- Risk of confusion with: small grey-white fiber
Beutelstäubling (Lycoperdon excipuliforme)
- Genus: Puffus (Lycoperdon)
- Odor: pleasantly slightly mushroomy
- Taste: mild aroma, tasty
- Fruit body: diameter between three and eleven centimeters – height up to 25 centimeters
- Mushroom color: completely white, later with a yellow tinge
- Headboard: Spherical
- Mushroom flesh: white inside, later increasingly yellow and brownish with age
- Mushroom stalk: white-brownish, bulging, fine-grained outer skin
- Mushroom lamellae: none, closed mushroom head
- Occurrence: in mixed forests, on lawns/meadows/pastures between spring and October
- Edible – non-toxic – very popular edible mushroom
- Risk of confusion with: slender ocher puffball, which is more yellowish and has a slender stem
Birkenschneckling (Hygrophorus hedrychii)
- Genus: Hygrophorus
- Odour: slightly unpleasant
- Taste: mild aroma
- Mushroom cap: between two and eight centimeters in diameter, glabrous, slimy, notched edge
- Mushroom color: white, later with a reddish tinge to an apricot tone, brownish-ocher in the middle
- Mushroom flesh: white, later increasingly brownish
- Mushroom stalk: four to ten centimeters long, one centimeter in diameter, white to white with a faint pink tint, white dots at the top of the stem, scaly, thinner base and tip
- Mushroom lamellae: creamy-white, white-yellowish to white-reddish or orange soft and slightly tapering
- Occurrence: in deciduous forests, on sandy and calcareous soils from July to October
- Edible – non-toxic
- Risk of confusion with: some conspecifics, none of which is poisonous
Grey-white fiber (Psathyrella marcescibilis)
- Genus: Psathyrella (Psathyrella)
- Odour: neutral/odorless
- Taste: mild aroma
- Mushroom cap: diameter of about four centimetres, edge shows remnants of velum (fibrous hem)
- Hat color: completely white, white-greyish or brownish colors possible
- Hat shape: hemispherical, later flatter
- Mushroom flesh: whitish, very fragile
- Mushroom stalk: white, strong serrations and very fibrous, frosted tip
- Mushroom lamellae: initially whitish, whitish-grey, later dark brown to brown-black, light lamellar edges, whitish cilia
- Occurrence: individually or in groups in mixed forests, on lawns/meadows/pastures between spring and October/November
- Toxicity not yet documented, so caution is advised when consuming
- Danger of confusion with: Behangen fiberling
White Mushrooms from J to W
Jungfern-Ellerling/Schneeweißer Ellerling (Cuphophyllus virgineus)
- Genus: Ellerlinge (Cuphophyllus)
- Odour: slightly musty, often perceived as unpleasant
- Taste: mild aroma
- Mushroom cap: diameter between one and four centimeters, slimy to the touch, protruding edge, slightly scored, habitus funnel-shaped
- Mushroom color: white to light ocher, usually a bit darker in the middle
- Mushroom flesh: white, watery consistency
- Mushroom stalk: four to six centimeters long, three to five millimeters in diameter, white, silky sheen
- Mushroom lamellae: creamy white, white to white-light brownish
- Occurrence: mainly on meadows and animal pastures from July to December
- Edible – not poisonous, but is a protected species
- Risk of confusion with: white funnel lice
Funnel lead white (Clitocybe phyllophila)
- Genus: Funnellets (Clitocybe)
- Odour: sweetish, mushroomy, sometimes musty, sometimes with a slightly fruity scent
- Flavor: mild with a rancid note
- Mushroom cap: diameter between two and nine, more rarely up to 14 centimetres, flat curvature, white, mold-like tires
- Mushroom color: white to light ocher, usually a bit darker in the middle
- Mushroom flesh: white to cream and “dirty white”, minimally greyish-brown in cap
- Peduncle: 3 to 9 centimeters long, 3 to 12 millimeters in diameter, white or off-white, white fuzz, usually thickened base and curved, white mycelial plexus at the end of the stalk
- Mushroom lamellae: first pure white, later creamy white, possibly with a slight pink tinge, easily detachable, shorter intermediate lamellae
- Occurrence: mostly in coniferous forests, more rarely in deciduous forests, mainly from summer to autumn
- highly toxic
- Can be confused with: Wax-stemmed funnel, which darkens and is fatally poisonous
White death cap (Amanita phalloides)
- Genus: Death cap species (Amanita)
- Odour: sweetish, mostly musty and even like carrion-smelling mushroom
- Taste: mild with a spicy note
- Mushroom cap: diameter between three and twelve, more rarely up to 15 centimeters, radial fibrillation, white vellum remains
- Hat shape: hemispherical to convex, later flattened
- Mushroom color: white
- Mushroom flesh: white, deeper inside the cap yellowish-green
- Mushroom stalk: five to twelve centimeters long, one to four, more rarely up to six millimeters in diameter, white, fibrous, small vellum scales, bulbous base, the tip can be easily separated from the cap flesh
- Mushroom lamellae: white, fine structure
- Occurrence: in mixed forests, parks and gardens, under deciduous trees such as beech and oak, more rarely in conifer forests
- Time: between spring and late autumn
- Attention: Mushroom consumption can lead to liver damage, so do not try it
- Danger of confusion with: white Eger Schirmlinge
White Rasling (Lyophyllum connatum)
- Family: Lyophyllaceae
- Odour: very sweet, slightly similar to spirit, mealy
- Taste: mild aroma
- Mushroom cap: diameter between one and six, more rarely up to eight centimeters,
- Hat shape: slightly curved, wavy edge
- Mushroom color: white with a slightly silver-grey border
- mushroom flesh: white, gristly substance
- Mushroom stalk: white, later turns yellowish
- Mushroom lamellae: initially pure white, later with a slightly creamy white note
- Occurrence: in mixed forests, on forest paths and stream/bank edges between summer and late autumn
- Attention: is listed differently as toxic and non-toxic – according to studies, a possible cell-changing effect is suspected, which is why consumption, but above all large quantities, is not recommended
- Can be confused with: white funnel lice, among which there are numerous poisonous specimens
Note: If a white mushroom also has white lamellae, there is a high chance that you have found a poisonous species. Determining these is largely superfluous.
frequently asked Questions
Not only with increasing age, but also the weather and site conditions can turn a white mushroom into a darker one or vice versa.
It depends. Very experienced mushroom pickers can use the details given here to identify many mushroom species better than someone who occasionally goes off with a list of typical identifying features. When looking for edible mushrooms/mushrooms for consumption, you should explicitly pay attention to all possible differences when determining the type of mushroom. If in doubt: ask a specialist or an experienced collector.
