The Living Fungi LibraryFungi LibraryMushroom Forage Map
FungiHerbs
Open field map
Cluster of sheathed woodtuft mushrooms on a mossy stump
Edibleexpert-only

Sheathed Woodtuft

Kuehneromyces mutabilis

A clustered brown mushroom on stumps with two-toned drying caps and a scaly stem below the ring.

Photo: Michael Hennig, CC0
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

The deadly Galerina marginata is almost identical. Most experts advise beginners to avoid this species entirely.

Season
Spring to autumn, especially spring and autumn
Habitat
Stumps and logs of broadleaf trees
Underside
Pale to cinnamon-brown gills
Spore evidence
Brown

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

Explore on the field map
Loading map…
Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
5,506
People who recorded it
3,021
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Aug–Oct
Records span
1987–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

Choose the hemisphere you want to study. Country detection is approximate and some countries span the equator.

Compare before concluding

Lookalikes to rule out

Galerina has a silky, fibrous stem below the ring rather than shaggy scales; the difference is subtle.

Honey mushrooms drop white spores and have black bootlace strands.

Sulphur tuft has yellow caps, greenish gills, and purple-brown spores.

Identification

The caps are orange-brown and hygrophanous: they dry from the center outward, leaving a two-toned pattern. There is a small ring. Below the ring, the stem is covered with small, shaggy, upturned scales. Spores are brown.

Uses and ecology

Sheathed woodtuft decays dead hardwood and is eaten in central Europe. It shares the same stumps and seasons as deadly Galerina, so field guides regularly warn against collecting it without expert confirmation.

Memorable fact

The same stump can host both sheathed woodtuft and deadly Galerina at the same time.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
Back to the fungi library