Wiesen-Trichterling vs Fleischfalber Trichterling

Clitocybe agrestis compared with Clitocybe diatreta

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Wiesen-Trichterling	Fleischfalber Trichterling
Kingdom same	Fungi (Pilze)	Fungi (Pilze)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)	Basidiomycota (Ständerpilze)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Champignonartige)	Agaricales (Champignonartige)
Family same	Tricholomataceae	Tricholomataceae
Genus same	Clitocybe	Clitocybe
Species	Clitocybe agrestis	Clitocybe diatreta

Evolutionary Relationship

Wiesen-Trichterling and Fleischfalber Trichterling share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Clitocybe.

Conservation Status

Wiesen-Trichterling

LC — Least Concern

Fleischfalber Trichterling

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Wiesen-Trichterling	Fleischfalber Trichterling
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Wiesen-Trichterling

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Fleischfalber Trichterling

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Wiesen-Trichterling

Clitocybe agrestis is a small, pale agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae found across Western and Northern Europe, recorded from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. It typically inhabits open grassy habitats including meadows, pastures, lawns, and roadsides, fruiting in autumn when moisture conditions are favorable. The cap is whitish to pale buff, often inrolled when young and becoming broadly flattened to slightly funnel-shaped with age, with crowded, decurrent gills and a short cylindrical stipe. The genus Clitocybe is characterized by the funnel-shaped or depressed cap and decurrent gill arrangement that gives many species a distinctive appearance. C. agrestis is a saprotrophic decomposer, breaking down plant litter and organic matter in grassland soils. It may be confused with toxic Clitocybe species, making accurate identification important. The species is listed as Least Concern, though European grassland fungi broadly face pressure from agricultural intensification, nitrogen deposition, and conversion of diverse meadows to monoculture pastures.

Fleischfalber Trichterling

Clitocybe diatreta is a saprotrophic agaric fungus belonging to the family Tricholomataceae, found across temperate European forests and woodland habitats from Scandinavia southward through Central Europe. It typically fruits in autumn among leaf litter of deciduous and mixed forests, favoring moist, humus-rich soils beneath beech, oak, and conifer stands. The cap is convex to depressed, pale greyish-buff or whitish, with the decurrent gills and funnel-shaped profile characteristic of the genus Clitocybe. Microscopic examination reveals ellipsoid spores with smooth walls, confirming identity in this difficult taxonomic group. The diatreta species complex has been subject to taxonomic revision as molecular techniques clarify boundaries between morphologically similar taxa. As a decomposer of forest litter, C. diatreta contributes to the breakdown of cellulose and lignin in temperate forest floors, releasing nutrients back into the soil ecosystem. Its presence indicates structurally diverse, undisturbed forest conditions preferred by many specialist saprotrophic fungi in European woodland communities.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden