Goblet funnel or Common funnel
How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison
The short answer
Goblet funnel and Common funnel are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: season: Goblet funnel — autumn, winter, Common funnel — summer, autumn. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: use, cap color, taste.

Goblet funnel
Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformis

Common funnel
Infundibulicybe gibba
📊 Comparing characteristics
| Characteristic | Goblet funnel | Common funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Edibility class | Goblet funnel Edible | Common funnel Edible |
| Season | Goblet funnel AutumnWinter | Common funnel SummerAutumn |
| Use | Goblet funnel Cook fresh | Common funnel Cook freshPickling |
| Size | Goblet funnel Small (up to 5 cm) | Common funnel Small (up to 5 cm) |
| Cap color | Goblet funnel BrownDark brownGrey | Common funnel OrangeBrown |
| Cap shape | Goblet funnel Funnel-shaped | Common funnel Funnel-shaped |
| Cap surface | Goblet funnel Smooth | Common funnel Smooth |
| Taste | Goblet funnel Mild | Common funnel Sweet |
| Smell | Goblet funnel Odorless | Common funnel Pleasant |
| Flesh color change | Goblet funnel No change | Common funnel No change |
| Hymenophore | Goblet funnel Gilled | Common funnel Gilled |
| Stem | Goblet funnel Central | Common funnel Central |
| Ring (veil) | Goblet funnel No ring | Common funnel No ring |
| Volva | Goblet funnel No volva | Common funnel No volva |
| Substrate | Goblet funnel SoilForest litterDead wood | Common funnel SoilForest litter |
| Nutrition type | Goblet funnel Saprotroph | Common funnel Saprotroph |
| Partner trees | Goblet funnel OakBeechHornbeamBirch | Common funnel OakBeechHornbeamBirchHazel |
📅 Seasonality
Goblet funnel
Fruiting season
October – December
Common funnel
Fruiting season
August – November
🔬 Morphology
Cap
Goblet funnel
Cap 3-8 cm across, convex in young mushrooms, later becoming funnel-shaped or goblet-shaped, with a sunken center and a thin wavy margin. Color gray-brown to chocolate-gray, darker in wet weather and paler in dry weather (hygrophanous). Surface smooth, silky and glossy when young, matte when old, with barely visible radial veins.
Common funnel
The cap is 3-8 cm across, convex in young mushrooms, later becoming funnel-shaped with a clearly sunken center and often a small pointed bump in the central hollow. The color is cinnamon-orange, brick, reddish-brown — more intense in young mushrooms and lighter in mature ones. The surface is silky-matte and smooth. The cap skin is thin.
Hymenophore
Goblet funnel
Gilled hymenophore. Gills distant, strongly decurrent down the stem (a characteristic feature). Color grayish-white to cream, turning light brown with age. Spore print white.
Common funnel
The underside has gills. The gills are crowded, thin, strongly decurrent down the stem. Whitish to cream, turning cream-ochre with age. The spore print is white to pale cream.
Stem
Goblet funnel
Stem 3-8 cm tall, 0.5-1.2 cm thick, slender, cylindrical or slightly thickened toward the base. Color gray-brown, similar to the cap, with white mycelial down at the bottom. Surface lengthwise fibrous, no ring. The stem flesh becomes hollow in old mushrooms.
Common funnel
The stem is 3-7 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly thickening toward the base. Orange-cream, matching the cap, with white mycelial fuzz at the bottom. The surface is smooth or has fine lengthwise fibers. No ring.
Flesh
Goblet funnel
Flesh thin, watery, grayish and brittle. Does not change color when cut. No pronounced taste or smell.
Common funnel
The flesh is thin, white to cream, soft and brittle. It doesn't change color when cut. It has a pleasant mushroomy-fruity taste.
Smell
Goblet funnel
Faintly mushroomy, neutral, with no distinct notes. Mild taste. In old mushrooms — sourish and unpleasant.
Common funnel
A pleasant mushroomy-fruity smell with a note of ripe apple or pear. One of the typical aromas of the forest Clitocybe. The taste is mild and delicate.
📍 Habitats
Goblet funnel
Common funnel
👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can Goblet funnel and Common funnel be mixed up?
How to tell Goblet funnel from Common funnel?
Is Common funnel edible?
When do Goblet funnel and Common funnel grow?
Sources
- [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
- [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
- [3]MycoBank Database
- [4]Index Fungorum
- [5]GBIF
- [6]iNaturalist Ukraine