Fragrant Funnel
(Clitocybe fragrans)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description
Fragrant Funnel is a common and widespread, small to medium-sized, gilled mushroom. It occurs in Europe and North America. It occurs throughout most of the United States and southern Canada, but it is absent from the Great Plains and the Great Basin. It is found from late July to September, in moist deciduous and mixed woodlands, scattered, in groups or almost clustered. It grows on the ground under conifers and hardwoods. It gains its nutrients from decayed organic matter (saprobic).
When it first appears, the cap is convex and the margins are rolled inward. The color is variable. In the east and Midwest, the cap is pale, whitish to faintly yellowish, or sometimes darker and pale brownish. On the West Coast, the cap is darker, pale brown to grayish brown. Mature caps are ⅝″ to 1¾″ (1.5 to 4.5 cm) in diameter and flat or depressed in the middle. The surface is hairless, smooth, and not sticky (viscid). The tissue is faintly colored and more or less transparent when moist, becoming paler and opaque as it dries out (hygrophanous).
The gills are closely spaced and broadly attached to the stalk (adnate) or slightly running down the stem (decurrent). They may be white, colored like the cap, or slightly darker than the cap.
The stalk is usually slender, 1¼″ to 2½″ (3.0 to 6.5 cm) long, and 1⁄16″ to ¼″ (2 to 6 mm) thick at the top. It may be the same thickness from top to bottom or slightly thicker at the bottom. When young, it is stuffed and the surface is whitish and covered with silky, hair-like fibers (fibrilose). When mature, it is hollow, often curved, and hairy at the base.
The flesh is thin and pale. It has a persistent, sweet or anise-like odor. It is edible but insubstantial. It is not poisonous, but eating is not recommended due to its similarity to numerous similar but deadly poisonous species that grow in the same habitats.
In the east and the Midwest, the spore print is white. On the West Coast, it is pale pinkish-buff.
Similar Species
Habitat and Hosts
Deciduous and mixed woodlands.
Ecology
Season
Late July to September
Distribution |
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Sources Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 11/29/2025). |
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| 11/29/2025 | ||
Occurrence |
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Common and widespread |
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Taxonomy
Kingdom
Fungi (Fungi)
Subkingdom
Dikarya
Phylum
Basidiomycota (Basidiomycete Fungi)
Subphylum
Agaricomycotina (Higher Basidiomycetes)
Class
Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms, Bracket Fungi, Puffballs, and Allies)
Subclass
Agaricomycetidae
Order
Agaricales (Common Gilled Mushrooms and Allies)
Suborder
Tricholomatineae
Family
Clitocybaceae
Genus
Clitocybe (Funnels)
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
A similar mushroom growing under conifers on the West Coast with a darker cap and pale pinkish-buff spores was previously treated as Clitocybe deceptiva. It is still found in printed field guides as Anise Mushroom. It is now considered a synonym of Clitocybe fragrans.
Agaricus fragrans
Agaricus obsoletus
Clitocybe deceptiva
Clitocybe depauperata
Clitocybe fragans
Clitocybe obsoleta
Lepista fragrans
Omphalia fragrans
Pseudolyophyllum fragrans
Clitocybe fragrans ssp. depauperata
Clitocybe fragrans var. depauperata
Clitocybe fragrans var. baraliana
Clitocybe fragrans var. fragrans
Clitocybe fragrans var. grata
Common Names
Fragrant Clitocybe
Fragrant Funnel
Slim Anise Mushroom
Glossary
Fibrillose
On mushrooms, covered with fine hair-like fibers.
Hygrophanous
Referring to mushroom tissue that is dark and more or less transparent when moist, becoming paler and opaque as it dries out.
Saprobic
A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.
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Dan W. Andree |
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… here is another mushroom species I found recently. They were small which is best shown in the distant image of the group of 3 mushrooms. Interesting almost fan like gills underneath. Underneath images can be difficult particularly depending on where the mushrooms are located and vegetation and terrain. Also sometimes mosquitoes are around. But one does get a different perspective and view from down there. I like how the gill area widens upwards in an almost V or fan shape. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
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Slideshows
Clitocybe deceptiva - fungi kingdom
Fungi Kingdom
Visitor Videos
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Other Videos
4K Clitocybe fragrans Mushroom Identification
Ultimate Mushroom
Visitor Sightings
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Dan W. Andree
8/10/2025
Location: MN SNA, Norman Co. Mn.
… here is another mushroom species I found recently. They were small which is best shown in the distant image of the group of 3 mushrooms.
Interesting almost fan like gills underneath. Underneath images can be difficult particularly depending on where the mushrooms are located and vegetation and terrain. Also sometimes mosquitoes are around. But one does get a different perspective and view from down there. I like how the gill area widens upwards in an almost V or fan shape.
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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