Wiesen-Trichterling vs Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Clitocybe agrestis compared with Clitocybe foetens

Key Differences

• Wiesen-Trichterling is Least Concern while Stinkender Mehltrichterling is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Wiesen-Trichterling	Stinkender Mehltrichterling
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 foetens

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Wiesen-Trichterling

LC — Least Concern

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Wiesen-Trichterling	Stinkender Mehltrichterling
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.

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Clitocybe foetens is a notably malodorous agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae, with the species epithet foetens Latin for 'stinking' or 'fetid,' reflecting its distinctive unpleasant odor that sets it apart from many related species. It occurs across temperate European forests, particularly in deciduous and mixed woodlands, where it fruits among leaf litter and organic debris during autumn. The cap is convex to shallowly depressed, pale brownish to greyish-buff, with decurrent gills and a slender stipe bearing the characteristic Clitocybe morphology. The strong, disagreeable smell is likely produced by volatile compounds and serves as a chemical signal, though whether it deters or attracts invertebrates and other fauna varies by compound chemistry. Like other genus members, C. foetens is a saprotrophic decomposer contributing to litter breakdown in temperate forest ecosystems. The fetid odor also serves as a useful distinguishing character for mycologists working in this taxonomically complex genus of small, pale-capped agarics found throughout European woodland habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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