Aniseed Funnel (Clitocybe Odora) Identification

Aniseed Funnel / Summer / Autumn / Edible

Prepare to awaken your senses and embark on a delightful culinary adventure as we explore the edible treasure known as Aniseed Funnel, scientifically referred to as Clitocybe Odora.

In this blog post, we invite you to indulge in the enchanting world of this mushroom’s unique fragrance and delectable flavors. As its name suggests, the Aniseed Funnel carries an unmistakable aroma reminiscent of sweet anise, infusing dishes with a tantalizing twist. Join us as we unravel the secrets of this remarkable fungus, learn how to identify it, and delve into the countless culinary possibilities it offers. From aromatic soups to savory stir-fries, the Aniseed Funnel promises to add a burst of irresistible taste to your culinary repertoire. Get ready to savor the aromatic charms of Clitocybe Odora and let your taste buds embark on a flavor-filled journey like no other.

Scientific Name

Clitocybe Odora


Common Names

Aniseed Funnel, Aniseed Toadstool


Family

Tricholomataceae


Habitat

They can be found amongst the leaf litter of broadleaved trees, most often beech, they are occasionally found with conifers too.


Description 

A fairly common mushroom in the UK, they are bright blue when they are young and with a strong aniseed aroma they’re always a great find.


Identifying Features:

Cap:

Convex when young they soon start to flatten out before becoming funnel shaped. They are bright blue when young but this fades as they age.

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

Stem:

Quite stout and fibrous, they are white and have white, downy fibres towards the base.

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

Gills:

The gills are white to blueish green when young, tending to become paler with age. The gills are decurrent to adnate and quite widely spaced.

Decurrent Gill
Thomas Pruß, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Smell:

Strong aniseed aroma, hence the common name.


Spores:

White.


Uses

In food

A really nice edible mushroom that adds an interesting flavour to dishes. They can be used fresh in risottos and soups or they can be dried and powdered and then used as a condiment.

The flavour works particularly well with fish or pork.


Harvesting 

They are loved by maggots and are often infested so check the condition of each one.

Only pick the fresh caps, as they age their colour and smell fades and they can then be more easily confused with other toxic species.


Known hazards

Some guides advise against eating these mushroom as they may contain small amounts of muscarine.


Potential lookalikes

The smell is a key feature for this mushroom, the Blue Roundhead (Stropharia Caerulea) can look similar but it lacks the aniseed smell and has a  very greasy or sticky coating on the cap.

The Fragrant Funnel (Clitocybe Fragrans) could also be confused as this also has a strong aniseed smell but it is almost pure white and is generally a lot smaller. Most guides list the Fragrant Funnel as toxic or not worthwhile.


Extra Notes

The Latin name derives from ‘Clitocybe’ meaning sloping head and ‘Odora’ meaning perfumed.

Check out the aniseed funnel on an ID app

Leave a Reply

You look like a Fun-Guy!

Maybe you'd like to join us for some hands-on Foraging?

foraging mushrooms boletus

Find our Upcoming Courses here