Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) is one of the most important fungi in British gardens and woods, and one of the most feared. It grows in large clumps at the base of living trees and stumps, with yellowish-brown caps, sometimes greenish, carrying small dark scales at the centre. The white gills run slightly down the stem and often develop rusty spots, and the pale yellow stem has a ring near the top.
It is a serious parasite, spreading underground through black, bootlace-like strands and killing trees, shrubs and hedges as it goes. It appears from September into November and is widespread and common. In the UK the name covers several similar Armillaria species.
The deadly Funeral Bell (Galerina marginata) and the poisonous Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) also grow in clumps on wood, but have rusty or purple-brown spores. Honey Fungus causes stomach upsets when raw or undercooked and disagrees with some people even when cooked, so it is best not eaten.
| Season | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
Distribution
Widespread and common
Habitat
Usually in large clumps at the base of living trees and sometimes stumps. A serious parasite of many trees and shrubs
Etymology
Armillaria is from the Latin armilla, 'bracelet', after the ring on the stem. mellea is Latin for 'honey-coloured', after the cap rather than the taste.
Cap
Yellowish-brown, sometimes greenish, with small dark scales at the centre that often wear off.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Convex, Expanded |
| Surface | Smooth, Squamose |
| Width | 4 - 9 cm |
Gills
The gills are white to creamy, adnate and crowded, with a decurrent tooth. With age they are often marked with rust-coloured spots.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Adnate |
Flesh
The flesh is white, firm and fibrous. It has a strong, cheese-like smell and a mild taste that soon becomes acrid.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Strong, cheese-like |
| Taste | Mild then soon acrid |
Stem
Pale yellow and fibrous, tapering towards the base, with a cottony ring or ring-zone near the top; often joined at the base to others in the clump.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Texture | Smooth |
| Shape | Cylindric, Tapering |
| Veil | ring-zone |
| Veil position | apical |
Spores
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Ellipsoid |
| Ornamentation | Smooth |
| Size | 7-8.5 x 5-6 μm |
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Physalacriaceae
- ↳ Genus: Armillaria
Synonyms
- Agaricus melleus Vahl
- Agaricus sulphureus Weinm.
- Armillaria mellea (Vahl. ex Fr.) Kummer
- Armillaria mellea var. maxima Barla
- Armillaria mellea var. minor Barla
- Armillaria mellea var. sulphurea (Weinm.) Fr.
- Armillaria mellea var. sulphurea (Weinm.) P. Karst.
- Armillariella mellea (Vahl) P. Karst.
- Armillariella mellea (Vahl. ex Fr.) Karst.
- Clitocybe mellea (Vahl) Ricken
- Clitocybe mellea (Vahl. ex Fr.) Ricken
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2020) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 2. Geoffrey Kibby.
