Identification
A large whitish-gray mushroom: gills cream at first, then salmon-pink; flesh with a mealy smell. Salmon gills on a mature specimen are the Entoloma signature.
Why it is dangerous
Gastrointestinal poisoning 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain — severe and lasting days. A Turkish case series documented hospitalizations. Western guides (First Nature) call it "deadly poisonous"; Wikipedia notes deaths are not typical — we class it as dangerous by precaution.
How not to confuse it
- With St George's mushroom: check gill color — pink means discard.
- With the field mushroom: champignons have brown gills and a proper ring.