How to tell Shield pinkgill from Spring pinkgill
How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison
Warning: Spring pinkgill(Entoloma vernum)
POISONOUS
Eating it causes poisoning. Do not pick it unless you have identified it with certainty.
Toxins: gastrointestinal, not fully identified. Symptoms begin 30 minutes — 2 hours after the meal: nausea, repeated vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain. They last 24-48 hours. The outlook is good if you see a doctor and get rehydrated. Especially dangerous for children, the elderly and pregnant women — because of the risk of dehydration. Heat treatment does NOT neutralize the toxins. If you suspect poisoning — call 112 or your local emergency number immediately and keep the remains of the mushroom for identification.
If you suspect poisoning, call an ambulance immediately: 112 (the European emergency number) or your local emergency number
The short answer
Shield pinkgill and Spring pinkgill look alike, so they're easy to mix up — but Shield pinkgill is conditionally edible, while Spring pinkgill is poisonous. The main visible difference: use: Shield pinkgill — cook fresh, pickling, Spring pinkgill — not eaten. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: size, cap color, cap shape. If you have even the slightest doubt, leave the mushroom be.
Shield pinkgill
Entoloma clypeatum
Spring pinkgill
Entoloma vernum
📊 Comparing characteristics
⚠ Highlighted rows are the key differences between the edible and the dangerous mushroom
| Characteristic | Shield pinkgill | Spring pinkgill |
|---|---|---|
| ⚠ Edibility class | Shield pinkgill Conditionally edible | Spring pinkgill Poisonous |
| Season | Shield pinkgill Spring | Spring pinkgill Spring |
| ⚠ Use | Shield pinkgill Cook freshPickling | Spring pinkgill Not eaten |
| ⚠ Size | Shield pinkgill Medium (5–15 cm) | Spring pinkgill Small (up to 5 cm) |
| ⚠ Cap color | Shield pinkgill BrownGrey | Spring pinkgill BrownDark brownGrey |
| ⚠ Cap shape | Shield pinkgill Convex | Spring pinkgill Conical |
| ⚠ Cap surface | Shield pinkgill Smooth | Spring pinkgill Fibrous |
| Taste | Shield pinkgill Mild | Spring pinkgill Mild |
| Smell | Shield pinkgill Floury | Spring pinkgill Floury |
| Flesh color change | Shield pinkgill No change | Spring pinkgill No change |
| Hymenophore | Shield pinkgill Gilled | Spring pinkgill Gilled |
| Stem | Shield pinkgill Central | Spring pinkgill Central |
| Ring (veil) | Shield pinkgill No ring | Spring pinkgill No ring |
| Volva | Shield pinkgill No volva | Spring pinkgill No volva |
| ⚠ Substrate | Shield pinkgill Soil | Spring pinkgill SoilMoss |
| ⚠ Nutrition type | Shield pinkgill Mycorrhizal | Spring pinkgill Saprotroph |
| ⚠ Partner trees | Shield pinkgill Wild cherry | Spring pinkgill PineSpruceBirch |
📅 Seasonality
Shield pinkgill
Fruiting season
April – June
Spring pinkgill
Fruiting season
April – June
🔬 Morphology
Cap
Shield pinkgill
Cap 5-12 cm across, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then convex to flattened, with a broad, low bump in the center. Color grayish brown, mouse-brown, chocolate gray; darker and slightly slimy in wet weather, lighter and silky-shiny in dry weather. The surface is smooth, sometimes with fine radial streaks in the center. The cap margin is thin and, in young mushrooms, rolled under.
Spring pinkgill
Cap 1.5-5 cm across, bell-shaped or conical with a sharp umbo in the center, opening out with age. Color dark grayish-brown, chocolate-brown, with a characteristic metallic-gray tint in wet weather. The surface is hygrophanous (darker when wet, lighter in dry weather), fibrous, sometimes with tiny scales in the center. The cap margin often has fine radial striations.
Hymenophore
Shield pinkgill
Gilled hymenophore. The gills are broad, with a notched attachment to the stem. In young mushrooms they are whitish gray, and with age they take on the pinkish salmon color typical of Entoloma. Spore print pinkish brown — the key feature of the genus.
Spring pinkgill
Gills. The gills are fairly sparse, notched where they meet the stem; in young mushrooms they are whitish-gray, with age pinkish-brown (the typical pink tone of Entoloma). Spore print pinkish-brown — the main feature of the genus.
Stem
Shield pinkgill
Stem 5-12 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, sturdy, slightly thickened toward the base. Color white to dirty white. The surface is lengthwise-fibrous, with no ring. The flesh of the stem is firm, hollow in old mushrooms.
Spring pinkgill
Stem 3-8 cm tall, 0.2-0.5 cm thick, thin, cylindrical, often wavy. Color grayish-brown to dark gray, paler toward the top, with a whitish mealy bloom. The surface is lengthwise-fibrous, with no ring. At the base — a faint white mycelial fuzz.
Flesh
Shield pinkgill
The flesh is thick, white, fleshy. It doesn't change color when cut. The smell and taste of the raw flesh are pleasant, mealy-cucumber.
Spring pinkgill
Flesh is thin, grayish, watery, almost translucent in wet weather. Does not change color when cut.
Smell
Shield pinkgill
Mealy-cucumber — typical of Entoloma. After boiling — a mild mushroomy smell. The taste is delicate.
Spring pinkgill
Faint, mealy or mealy-musty — typical of the genus Entoloma. In old mushrooms it's sourish. The taste is mild, bland, like raw flour.
📍 Habitats
Shield pinkgill
Spring pinkgill
👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can Shield pinkgill and Spring pinkgill be mixed up?
How to tell Shield pinkgill from Spring pinkgill?
Which is more dangerous — Shield pinkgill or Spring pinkgill?
Is Spring pinkgill edible?
When do Shield pinkgill and Spring pinkgill grow?
Sources
- [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
- [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
- [3]MycoBank Database
- [4]Index Fungorum
- [5]GBIF
- [6]iNaturalist Ukraine