Honey Mushroom vs. Deadly Galerina
The only relatively safe way to identify a mushroom is to show it to someone experienced with it. That means showing them, in person, all your mushrooms, and while they are still fresh, not just sending a photo of one or some of them a day or two later. Find someone in your area to learn from.
Here are ten typical differences between honey mushrooms and Galerina autumnalis (a.k.a., G. marginata). Keep in mind that, like humans, mushrooms vary in appearance, especially honey mushrooms, of which there are several species. A given mushroom will rarely have all the following characteristics.
This variation is not cause for despair. Countless people have managed to identify honey mushrooms safely for thousands of years. Besides, without diversity, life would be boring.
- honey
- Galerina
at maturity:
height
more than 3 inches
almost always vs. almost never
width
more than 2 inches
almost always vs. almost never
cap
hairs vs. no hairs
usually dry and thick vs. often sticky and/or translucent
spore color
white vs. rusty brown
ring at maturity
white vs. brown
persistent vs. frequently evanescent
stem
thickness relative to cap
about 20% vs. about 10%
appearance
usually with vertical lines above the ring vs. rarely with lines
flesh
white vs. yellowish
frequency in Western North Carolina
very common vs. rare