Funeral Bell vs Landslide Mushroom
Galerina marginata compared with Psilocybe caerulescens — how to tell them apart in the field.
This is a dangerous confusion.
At least one of these species is toxic. Never eat a wild mushroom based on a photo comparison alone — verify with local experts.
Funeral Bell
Galerina marginata
Deadly
Landslide Mushroom / Derrumbe
Psilocybe caerulescens
ToxicPsychoactive
How to Tell Them Apart
DEADLY POISONOUS. Grows on decaying wood, not bare soil. Has a prominent ring and rusty-brown spore print (not purple-brown). Does not bruise blue.
Side-by-Side Identification
| Trait | Funeral Bell | Landslide Mushroom |
|---|---|---|
| Cap | 1.5-5 cm across. Convex when young, flattening with age. Honey-brown to tawny when moist, drying to a pale tan from the center outward (hygrophanous). Smooth, slightly sticky when wet. Margin often shows faint striations when moist. | 2-6 cm across. Convex to broadly convex, sometimes with a low umbo. Silvery-blue to olive-brown with a distinctive metallic or greasy sheen when fresh. Hygrophanous — dries to pale straw or beige. Surface smooth, sometimes with a slight gelatinous feel. |
| Gills | Attached to slightly decurrent. Crowded, yellowish-brown becoming rusty brown as spores mature. Edges may appear slightly lighter. | Adnate to slightly sinuate, close to moderately spaced. Grayish when young, becoming dark purple-brown with maturity. Edges often lighter or whitish. |
| Stem | 3-8 cm tall, 3-8 mm thick. Pale above the ring, darker brown below. Has a fragile, membranous ring (annulus) that often darkens with deposited spores. Base may have whitish mycelial threads. | 4-10 cm tall, 3-7 mm thick. White to pale brownish, silky-fibrous. Equal or slightly enlarged at the base. Bruises strongly blue-green when handled. Partial veil leaves a faint fibrous zone. |
| Spore print | Rusty brown to orange-brown — a critical identification feature that separates it from Psilocybe species (which have purple-brown to black spore prints). | Dark purple-brown to blackish-purple. |
| Bruising | — | Strong and rapid blue-green bruising on all parts when damaged. The cap surface often shows blue-green tones naturally, especially near the margin. |
| Odor | Mealy or flour-like when fresh. Some describe it as faintly earthy. | — |
| Habitat | Strictly saprotrophic — feeds on dead and decaying wood. Found on logs, stumps, buried roots, and wood chip mulch. Prefers conifer wood but also appears on hardwoods. Common in forests, parks, gardens, and landscaped areas with wood chip beds. | Disturbed, bare soil — landslide scars, road cuts, trail edges, stream banks, and exposed clay or muddy substrates. Often among mosses on freshly exposed earth. Subtropical to tropical montane forests at 500-1,700 meters elevation. |
| Season | Fruits from spring through late autumn, with peak fruiting in September-November in temperate regions. Can appear year-round in mild, wet climates like the Pacific Northwest. | June through October during the rainy season. Peak fruiting in July and August after heavy rains expose and saturate soil. |
Found one of these in the wild? Don't rely on memory — identify it from a photo with Orangutany and check it against both species before you touch it.