# Funeral Bell (*galerina marginata*)

The Funeral Bell mushroom is a tiny, brown fungus that grows in forests. It's often found on decaying wood, making it an important part of nature's recycling team!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate
- **Habitat:** Forests, especially in moist, decaying wood areas.
- **Also known as:** Brown Bell, Deadly Galerina, Little Bell Mushroom

![Funeral Bell](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Galerina_marginata.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galerina_marginata.jpg)

## Appearance

The Funeral Bell has a small, moist, orange-brown cap that often fades to tan. Its thin stem is the same color as the cap, with a distinct, sometimes disappearing, ring. It looks dangerously similar to some edible species, making identification crucial.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Hymenogastraceae
- **Genus:** Galerina

## Interesting facts

- Despite its small size, even a tiny bite of this mushroom can be fatal.
- Its toxins are the same deadly poisons found in the infamous Death Cap mushroom!
- The 'bell' in its name comes from its cap shape when young and bell-like appearance.
- This fungi often grows in dense clusters, especially on rotting logs and stumps.

## Special abilities

- **Mimicry Master:** Funeral Bell has a deceptive appearance that helps them fool foragers into mistaking them for edible mushrooms like honey fungus.
- **Silent Destroyer:** Funeral Bell can produce potent amatoxins because of its cellular machinery, which can cause severe liver and kidney damage.
- **Wood Wrecker:** Funeral Bell can break down tough dead wood because it releases enzymes, helping to recycle nutrients back into the forest soil.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-6 cm
- **Edible:** deadly
- **Size:** 1-4 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Fall-winter
- **Spore Color:** Rusty brown

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [Norway Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/norway-spruce) (*Picea abies*) — Decomposes dead wood of this conifer.
- **Eats:** [Silver Birch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silver-birch) (*Betula pendula*) — Breaks down fallen logs and stumps.
- **Symbiotic with:** Red-belted Conk (*Fomitopsis pinicola*) — Competes for wood resources, often co-occurs.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate

Never touch or eat wild mushrooms without adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Funeral Bell?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Funeral Bell?

2-6 cm

### Is Funeral Bell edible?

deadly

### How big is Funeral Bell?

1-4 cm

### Where is Funeral Bell usually found?

Forests, especially in moist, decaying wood areas.

### What does Funeral Bell grow on?

wood

### When is Funeral Bell in season?

Fall-winter

### What color are Funeral Bell spores?

Rusty brown

## Where to spot

- [Eudora Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eudora-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Funeral Bell: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/funeral-bell)