Deadly Fibrecap / Spring / Toxic

Andreas Kunze, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

This image was created by user Nadine (nadine modad) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.You can contact this user here.English | español | français | italiano | македонски | മലയാളം | português | +/−, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Caution: This blog post delves into the realm of danger and toxicity. Today, we shed light on the notorious Deadly Fibrecaps (Inocybe erubescens), a mushroom that harbours a sinister secret.

While the world of fungi often delights with its culinary treasures, it also hides deadly traps. Join us as we explore the dark side of nature and uncover the unsettling truth behind these seemingly innocent mushrooms. Discover the distinguishing features that can help you identify Deadly Fibrecaps, learn about their toxic compounds, and understand the potential risks they pose to foragers and mushroom enthusiasts. Safety is paramount, and knowledge is your best defence. Brace yourself as we venture into the realm of danger, shedding light on the deadly toxicity of Deadly Fibrecaps. Remember, caution and awareness can save lives.

Common names

Deadly fibrecaps, red staining inocybe

Scientific Name

Inocybe erubescens

Family

Inocybaceae

Habitat

They are mycorrhizal with deciduous trees most commonly beech and hornbeam on calcareous soils.

Fairly common in southern parts of the UK, but rare in other parts of the country.

Description

Inocybe erubescens is a highly poisonous mushroom that can be fatal if eaten.

Caps

The caps are generally 3-7 cm in diameter, conical when young, flattening when older but still retaining a central umbo with streaky radial fibres. The caps are quite often split in older specimens and stain red when damaged.

Andreas Kunze, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Gills

The gills start whitish and gradually turn red/brown with ages. The gills stain red when damaged, are crowded and can be adnate or adnexed.

Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Smell:

Spermatic or slightly earthy.

Spores

Dull Brown

Known hazards

As most members of this family are suspected of being highly poisonous they should all be avoided.

Potential lookalikes

Since it appears in spring and summer it could be confused with the St. Georges mushroom but this lacks the radial fibres and doesn’t stain red. It could also be confused with other inocybe species but as they are all considered deadly toxic and are generally avoided by foragers.

You can see from the image below of a deadly fibre cap and then st george that when the deadly fibre cap is young and its gills white there is a potential for confusing. I’ve heard people in spring say any white mushroom with white gills is safe to eat. So if you’re picking St Georges make sure to be clued up on Deadly Fibre Caps.

Click here for a full St George Identification Guide

Uses

Toxic. As the name suggests potentially deadly. They contains a deadly amount of the toxin muscarine. The antidote for which is atropine, the main toxin found in the Deadly Nightshade plant. Self-administration is not recommended!!!