Sheathed Woodtuft

Kuehneromyces mutabilis

Family: Strophariaceae

Sheathed Woodtuft (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)
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Overview

Tawny cluster on dead hardwood logs across Europe and northern Asia. Two-tone cap (dries from centre), scaly stem below the ring. Choice when correctly identified, but the deadly Galerina marginata grows in the same habitat — this is an experts-only edible.

Edibility
Edible
Rarity
common
Trophic mode
saprotrophic

Host trees & substrate

  • Local forest substrate

Key identification features

  • Cap dries two-tone — pale centre, dark margin
  • Stem scaly below the ring, smooth above
  • Cinnamon-brown spore print
  • Clustered on dead hardwood

Toxic lookalikes

  • Funeral bell (Galerina marginata)deadly

    Grows in the same habitat. Smaller, smoother stem, rusty (not cinnamon) spores. Several deaths each year from this confusion.

See live fruiting predictions for Sheathed Woodtuft on the forecast home page, or browse the full field guide.

Always confirm wild-mushroom identification with multiple sources and a knowledgeable local expert before consuming. Read the foraging safety guide.