Bell omphalina 

The Bell Omphalina is a common fungus of our forests. It has a thin brownish stalk with a cap that is rust brown in the middle and lighter at the edges. Its cap, which is depressed in the middle, grows to about 2 cm in size.

The Bell Omphalina grows in spruce-dominated and mixed forests with deadwood. Its range covers the boreal zone in Europe and North America. Its growing season is long, stretching from spring to autumn.

Xeromphalinas also includes Forest Omphalina (Xeromphalina fraxinophila), which can be easily confused with the Bell Omphalina. Both are characterised by a bellybutton-like dent in the cap and a parachute-like appearance. The fungus is not toxic, but also not very good to eat because of its bitter taste.

The Bell Omphalina grows in large colonies around the coniferous trees’ decaying stumps. As a basic species of our forests, it does not require any special protection measures, as long as the proportion of decaying wood in the forest is safeguarded in forest management.