The specific features that define the genus require a microscope to confirm. In the wild it can be difficult to determine a "Galerina" from a number of similar genera, such as "Pholiota", "Tubaria", "Conocybe", "Pholiotina", "Agrocybe", "Gymnopilus", "Phaeogalera" and "Psilocybe". For the most part, Galerinas will be found associated with moss, and this can separate out the genus in nature fairly well. But this identification is more difficult in the section Naucoriopsis, which does not associate with moss, and is a decomposer of wood.