Fleischfalber Trichterling vs Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Clitocybe diatreta compared with Clitocybe foetens

Key Differences

• Fleischfalber Trichterling is Least Concern while Stinkender Mehltrichterling is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fleischfalber 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 diatreta	Clitocybe foetens

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Fleischfalber Trichterling

LC — Least Concern

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fleischfalber Trichterling	Stinkender Mehltrichterling
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fleischfalber Trichterling

Habitat

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

Range

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

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

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