Copper spike or Rosy spike

Cap 4-10 cm across; hemispherical with an inrolled margin when young, later convex with a low central bump. Color coppery reddish brown, brick-colored, with a violet-wine tint, darker and richer when young, fading to brownish ochre with age. Surface slightly slimy in wet weather, dry in dry weather; the skin peels off.

Cap 2-6 cm across; hemispherical with an inrolled margin when young, later convex to flat with a shallow central depression. Color bright pink, coral-pink, salmon-pink: distinctive and unmatched among the spikes. In old mushrooms it fades to pale pink or ochre-pink. Surface very slimy, sticky; the skin peels off easily.

Gilled hymenophore; gills decurrent, distant, waxy, thick. In young mushrooms yellowish to ochre, later darkening to gray-violet-black because of the dark spore print. Spore print dark brown to black. Decurrent gills plus darkening are the diagnostic features of the genus Chroogomphus / Gomphidius.

Gilled hymenophore; gills decurrent, distant, waxy, thick. In young mushrooms whitish, later darkening to gray-black, almost black because of the dark spore print. Spore print dark brown to black. Decurrent gills plus darkening are the diagnostic features of the genus Gomphidius.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, thick, fleshy, tapering to a point at the bottom (narrowed at the base). Color yellow-ochre in the upper part, coppery red lower down, matching the cap. Surface with fine lengthwise fibers. A ring zone from the veil in the upper part, faint; may disappear in old mushrooms.

Stem 3-7 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, thinner and shorter than in other spikes. Color whitish to pale pink at the top, more intensely pink lower down. A ring zone from the veil in the upper part, faint. The stem base often has whitish mycelium.

Flesh fleshy, yellow-ochre in the cap, coppery red in the lower stem. When cut it darkens to violet or wine-red: this is a normal reaction of the species, not a sign of poison. Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy.

Flesh thin, whitish to pale pink, soft. When cut it turns slightly wine-pink. Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy.

Faint, pleasantly mushroomy, with no distinctive notes.

Faint, pleasantly mushroomy, with no distinctive notes.