๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒโฆ
๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ก
The Clouded or perhaps more accurately named Foggy Funnel, known locally as the Clitocybe nรฉbuleux or Nevelzwam, appears in the Forรชt de Soignes as the year turns and the forest air thickens with moisture. Its name comes from the Latin nebula, meaning mist or cloud, perfectly capturing the soft grey hue of its broad cap. The genus name Clitocybe joins two Greek words: klitos for slope and kybe for head, together meaning โsloping head.โ It refers to the capโs gentle funnel shape, dipping towards the centre as if to collect the fog.
Youโll find it in clusters beneath beech and oak, often pushing through the copper litter of fallen leaves. Turn one over and youโll see the gills running slightly down the stem, packed close and pale as parchment. The scent is curious โ some say floury, others liken it to wet grain or sour milk.
The Clouded Funnel contains compounds such as nebularine, a purine derivative known to irritate the gut. Some also react to heat-sensitive proteins in its flesh, which can cause nausea or cramps even after cooking. So although once gathered for the pan, itโs best admired rather than eaten. Still, it remains one of the forestโs most evocative signs of November, rising like smoke from the damp soil and fading back into the leaf mould as winter closes in.