Conifer tuft or Sheathed woodtuft

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.

The cap is 3-7 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled edge in young mushrooms, later becoming convex to flat with a noticeable low bump. The color is two-toned: in wet weather the center is dark chestnut-brown and the edge pale ocher; in dry weather it's the other way around. The surface is smooth, slimy in wet weather. The cap skin peels off easily.

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. In young mushrooms they are pale beige, cream, darkening with age to brown, chocolate-brown as the spores ripen. The spore print is brown to rusty brown. In young mushrooms the gills are covered by a whitish partial veil.

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.

The stem is 4-8 cm tall and 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical, often curved. Two-toned: in the upper part (above the ring) it is smooth, pale ocher-cream. In the lower part (below the ring) it is brownish-black, with distinct brown toothlike scales that stick outward. The ring is narrow, membranous, brownish; noticeable in young mushrooms, it may disappear 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.

The flesh is meaty in the cap, thin in the stem, creamy white to brownish cream. When cut it does not change color. The smell and taste are pleasantly mushroomy, with a nutty note.

Pleasantly mushroomy, with no distinctive notes and no bitterness.

Pleasantly mushroomy with a nutty note. No chemical or mealy undertones, an extra diagnostic feature against Galerina, which has a faint mealy smell.