Conifer tuft or Brick tuft

Cap 3-7 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin when young, becoming convex with a low umbo over time. Color ocher yellow to yellowish brown, darker toward the center to orange-brown, the margin paler. Surface smooth, slightly sticky in wet weather. The cap skin does not peel.

Cap 4-10 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin when young, becoming convex with a low umbo over time. Color bright brick-orange, brick-red, darker toward the center to brownish orange, with a yellowish margin. Surface smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather. Often with whitish veil remnants along the cap margin.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached to the stem, moderately crowded. When young they are grayish white, becoming with age gray-lilac, ash gray, purplish gray as the spores ripen. They never turn sulfur yellow or greenish — this is what fundamentally sets this species apart from the poisonous sulphur tuft. Spore print dark purple-brown to blackish brown.

Gilled hymenophore — the gills are attached to the stem, moderately crowded. When young they are yellowish white, darkening with age to olive gray, then dark purplish gray as the spores ripen. Spore print dark purple-brown to blackish brown. They never turn bright sulfur yellow.

Stem 4-8 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical, often curved. Color ocher yellow at the top, darkening with age to rusty brown toward the base. Surface with fine lengthwise fibers. Ring faint or absent — young specimens may have a thin fibrous ring zone. Several stems are often fused at the base into a cluster.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, often tapering toward the base. Color yellowish cream at the top, darkening with age to reddish brown toward the base. Surface with fine lengthwise fibers. The ring is faint — young specimens may have a thin fibrous ring zone, which disappears in older ones.

Flesh meaty in the cap, yellowish, more fibrous in the stem. When cut it does not change color. Smell and taste pleasantly mushroomy, without bitterness. This is another diagnostic feature against the sulphur tuft, whose flesh is bitter.

Flesh firm and meaty in the cap, yellowish to pale cream. When cut it does not change color. Smell faintly mushroomy. Taste bitterish, especially in the stem and in older specimens — a diagnostic feature.

Pleasantly mushroomy, with no distinctive notes and no bitterness.

Faintly mushroomy, neutral, with no distinctive notes. Older specimens have a slightly rancid note.