Funeral Bell vs Philosopher's Stone
Galerina marginata compared with Psilocybe tampanensis — 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
Philosopher's Stone / Magic Truffle
Psilocybe tampanensis
ToxicPsychoactive
How to Tell Them Apart
DEADLY POISONOUS. Similar small brown appearance but grows on decaying wood, has a ring on the stem, and produces rusty-brown spores (not purple-brown). Always verify with a spore print.
Side-by-Side Identification
| Trait | Funeral Bell | Philosopher's Stone |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 1-2.4 cm across. Convex to plane, sometimes with a slight umbo. Ochraceous-brown to straw-colored, paler when dry. Smooth, slightly sticky when moist. Hygrophanous. |
| Gills | Attached to slightly decurrent. Crowded, yellowish-brown becoming rusty brown as spores mature. Edges may appear slightly lighter. | Adnate, medium-spaced. Brown to dark purple-brown with age. Edges lighter. |
| 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. | 2-6 cm tall, 1-2 mm thick. Thin, equal. Yellowish-brown, slightly darker at the base. Bruises blue when handled. |
| 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). | Purple-brown to dark purple-brown. |
| Bruising | — | Blue-green bruising on stem and cap, sometimes slow to develop. Sclerotia also bruise blue when cut. |
| 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. | The single wild collection was from a sandy meadow in a deciduous area. In cultivation, sclerotia form readily in grain or grass seed substrates. The natural habitat preferences remain poorly understood due to the extreme rarity of wild collections. |
| 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. | The only wild collection was made in September. In cultivation, sclerotia form year-round under controlled conditions. |
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.