Clouded Funnel or Clouded Agaric Clitocybe nebularis

Clouded Funnel or Clouded Agaric Clitocybe nebularis (Batsch.) P. Kumm (illustrated 30% life size) Cap 5–20cm across, convex at first, becoming flattened or occasionally slightly depressed in the centre, the margin remaining inrolled; cloudy grey, sometimes tinged with buff, darker at the centre; often covered with a white bloom. Stem 50–100×15–25mm, swollen towards the base; paler than the cap; becoming hollow, fibrous and easily broken. Flesh white; thick; smell strong and sweetish. Gills decurrent, crowded; whitish, later with a yellow flush. Spores 5.5–8×3.5–5¼, ovoid-elliptical. Spore print cream. Habitat in deciduous or coniferous woods, often in rings or troops; late summer to late autumn.Very common. Said to be edible but known to cause gastric upsets in many people. Note the European C. nebularis var. alba Bataille differs only in the milk-white cap; it can be distinguished from other white, fleshy Clitocybes by its relatively large spores. Very rare in Britain.