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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.

📊 Comparing characteristics

Comparison of characteristics: Goblet funnel and 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

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

October – December

Common funnel

Fruiting season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

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

Deciduous forestMixed forest

Common funnel

Deciduous forestMixed forest

👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can Goblet funnel and Common funnel be mixed up?
Yes, they look so similar that people often mix them up. The season, use, cap color help tell them apart.
How to tell Goblet funnel from Common funnel?
The main differences: season: Goblet funnel — autumn, winter, Common funnel — summer, autumn; use: Goblet funnel — cook fresh, Common funnel — cook fresh, pickling; cap color: Goblet funnel — brown, dark brown, grey, Common funnel — orange, brown. The full table of characteristics is higher up on this page.
Is Common funnel edible?
Common funnel — edible.
When do Goblet funnel and Common funnel grow?
Goblet funnel — October–December; Common funnel — August–November.

Sources

  • [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
  • [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
  • [3]MycoBank Database
  • [4]Index Fungorum
  • [5]GBIF
  • [6]iNaturalist Ukraine