Stinkender Mehltrichterling vs Hellrosabrauner Trichterling

Clitocybe foetens compared with Clitocybe leucodiatreta

Key Differences

• Stinkender Mehltrichterling is Data Deficient while Hellrosabrauner Trichterling is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Stinkender Mehltrichterling	Hellrosabrauner 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 foetens	Clitocybe leucodiatreta

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

DD — Data Deficient

Hellrosabrauner Trichterling

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Stinkender Mehltrichterling

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Hellrosabrauner Trichterling

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Hellrosabrauner Trichterling

Clitocybe leucodiatreta is a pale agaric fungus in the family Tricholomataceae native to temperate European forests. The species name combines 'leuco' (white) with the related species epithet 'diatreta,' suggesting morphological similarity to Clitocybe diatreta but with a distinctly paler, more whitish appearance. It inhabits deciduous and mixed woodland floors, fruiting in autumn among accumulated leaf litter where it acts as a saprotrophic decomposer of organic matter. The fruiting bodies display the characteristic Clitocybe form: a depressed to funnel-shaped cap, crowded decurrent gills, and a cylindrical stipe. Distinguishing closely related small, pale Clitocybe species requires careful examination of spore morphology, odor, taste, and ecological context, with molecular phylogenetics increasingly used to resolve taxonomic boundaries within this challenging genus. C. leucodiatreta represents part of the remarkable diversity of saprotrophic fungi in European temperate forests, ecosystems where macrofungal diversity rivals that of the plant and invertebrate communities they help sustain through decomposition.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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